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N. lowii

  • #21
I said that because if they were evolving just to capture and use bird feces specifically as food, us grower would most likely not know the cause of the decline in the health of the plant (if this were to ever happen). It was just an example that I was trying to use to explain that these plants will use anything that falls into thier pitchers as a possible source of nutrients.
 
  • #22
To add to what Nep G just said about pitchers using "anything" that falls into it. There is another theorywhich is just as bizzare as the bird poop.

That is the idea of N. ampullaria evolving into a "herbivorious" carnivore in having the reclining lids and growing beneath the forest canopy to trap falling leaf litter and debris.
For a more extensive explanation of this theory see Nepenthes of Sumatra by Charles Clarke.
 
  • #23
I think fatboy said everything I wanted to say about this topic
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. I believe that N. lowii evolved in a way to make use of insects and excrements. The shape of the pitchers and methods of attraction are just ways to aid it in collecting bird poo, which may be more benificial than insects, considering the conditions in the area. Conditions like amount of birds versus insects, ease of attracting and capturing bird poo versus insects, etc. Too many factors to make an educated guess, really...
 
  • #24
That's pretty cool Swords... Has anyone ever tried to feed there neps leaves or debris from plants? If not, it would be very fun to find out if N. Ampullaria or any other nep for that matter, can thrive off of plant debri and/or leaves.
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  • #25
In the chapter which discusses it in Neps of Sumatra it states the breakdown/decomposition of leaves and plant matter is far slower in water. Especially acidic water as found in a pitcher (N. ampullaria pitchers secrete a fluid somewhere around Ph 3.6) which is quite acidic but N. ampullaria pitchers are long lasting in a good environment in comparison to some species.
This trapping strategy is one hypothesis as to why the lids are small an held back from the mouth and the pitchers are spread out like a carpet on the jungle floor.

I love reading theories like that!
I guess that makes me a geek!
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