Nepentes of Madagascar
Nepenthes madagascariensis
Most often it is a liana with a lignified or semi-woody stem. Shoots are thin, long, climbing in natural conditions along the trunks of neighboring trees to the light, using thin cirriform petioles. At the same time some types of non-pentes are typical epiphytes with drooping roots, while others lead a terrestrial way of life and their pitcher-traps lie on the ground.
Nepentes is distinguished by the original form of leaves - traps, the petioles of which acquire a flat form and perform the function of photosynthesis. The upper part of the petiole turns into a thin cirrus, ending with a jug. To prevent water from entering the jug, an upper blade of the leaf blade is located above its inlet, which acts as an "umbrella".
The shape and color of the jugs in different types of non-pence is surprisingly diverse. Jugs can be bright, painted in red, matte-white with scattered contrast spots, light green with a purple pattern of tone. They can reach a length of 25-30 cm, and in some species in nature up to half a meter, and the amount of digestive juice in them reaches 1-2 liters. Along with the hawkish leaves, the plants develop ordinary ones-regular, large, elongated-elongated leaves with a protruding apex and convex central vein. The height of the plant is from 30 to 70 cm, the length of the leaves is from 20 to 50 cm.
Non-pentine flowers are plain, small, collected in narrow racemose or paniculate inflorescences.
The mechanism of "catching" insects in non-pentes is simple enough, but it has its own peculiarities. On the edge of the pitcher are grooved thickenings that give off sweet juice, which attracts numerous inhabitants of the tropical forest. However, only insects enter the trap, for which the sharp and long hairs sticking out at the edges of the blade - the "umbrella" - are not an obstacle. The tiny waxy scales that are on the rim of the jug stick to the feet of insects, and they, like skates, glide along the walls of the jug to the bottom, directly into the liquid with digestive enzymes. So that the insects do not damage the glands, they are covered from above with a small vault.
In addition to the non-pendent of Madagascar, other species of