Many lovers of exotic plants probably know Nepentes. Home care, photos and plant descriptions can be found in our article. So, let's begin.
General information
Nepentes are predatory plants. Insects serve them as food. In the wild, they grow mainly in peat bogs in acidic soil. There are very few nutrients that could absorb plant roots. But the Nepentes survive in these conditions. And they adapted due to their unusual leaves, which in shape resemble a jug. There is a special lid on the jug for catching various insects: flies, mosquitoes, bugs ... The leaves are quite large. From the lid of a leaf-jug that produces nectar, insects fall down to its bottom. They cannot be held, since the inner surface, that is, the sheet wall, is coated with wax. Once trapped, the insect begins to rush, which causes the activity of the glands located inside the jug. These glands produce caustic substances that in a couple of days are completely able to digest the fly.
History
The first mention of Nepentes (plant photo and description in the article) dates back to 1658, when the French governor Etienne de Flacort traveled around Madagascar. He was fascinated by the unusual appearance of the plant. The second description dates back to 1680. It was compiled by the German traveler and adventurer Jacob Brain. But they all saw in front of them only a beautiful plant and did not know that it catches insects.
A serious study of the unique culture was undertaken by the natural scientist Karl Linnaeus. He introduced the generic name "Nepenthes" into scientific circulation in 1753 in his work Species Plantarum. Linnaeus named it after the legendary grass of oblivion of the nepenf mentioned in Homer's Odyssey. According to the myth, the Spartan princess, the beautiful Helen, received nepenf grass from the Queen of Egypt. She invited her son Odysseus Telemachus to forget all sorrows and sorrows. The word nepenthes itself is translated from Latin as "no sadness." Nepentes was sometimes used instead of opium. This plant is mentioned, incidentally, in the verses of the famous American writer Allan Edgar Allan Poe, who, according to contemporaries, often resorted to narcotic substances.
In the XIX century, Nepentes gained real popularity. His species and hybrids were grown in his famous nursery by the learned botanist Peter Christian. Since the 1960s, these plants have again experienced a boom thanks to the work of the Japanese botanist Shigeo Kurata.
Today, more than a hundred species and several hundred hybrids of Nepentes are known, some of them are sold in flower shops.
Nonpent Family
Nepentaceae (Nepenthaceae) - a family of dicotyledons, including several hundred clinging plants of the Indomalai region. They are related to the families Sarraceniaceae and Droseraceae. Non-Pentes, like representatives of the last two families, are predator plants. Their main difference is dioecious flowers without a corolla and single-stamen stamens.
Nepentes. Description and habitats
Nepenthes (Nepenthes) - a plant from the Nepenthaceae family, including shrubs and shrubs with clinging branches and alternate, sessile or short-leaved simple leaves. Their elongated median veins develop a kind of tubular organs with numerous glands abundantly releasing aqueous humor on the inner surface.
Nepentes have two types of leaves - pitcher and simple. The former first have a long narrow petiole. In the middle, it becomes flat and wide, forming a leaf in shape. This wide part of the green color, and photosynthesis processes take place in it. After the petiole again becomes narrower and passes into a thin thread - antenna. The latter wraps around a branch or even the entire trunk of a plant. At the end of the petiole is a leaf forming a jug for catching insects.
So that rainwater does not fall into the jug, it is reliably protected by the “cover”. It is formed in the leaf cavity in the upper lobe. Pitchers do not just have a bright rim. The noticeable color of the border and the nectar secreted by the glands on it serve to attract insects. The insect begins to examine the rim of the pitcher. Unaware of anything, it climbs into it. There it is on a slippery part of the plant. This area glides due to a wax coating. It covers the inner walls of the nepenthes in the side. The victim slides through the wax and ends up at the bottom inside the jug. There are glands that are responsible for the digestion of nepenthes.
Nepentes is one of the largest predatory plants in the world. Its jugs, reaching impressive size, contain about two liters of liquid, which is produced by his glands. He is also able to accommodate about two to three hundred insects. Of course, here we are talking about the largest representatives of the non-Penta family, growing in the rainforests of Australia and Madagascar. The speed of eating an insect-prey is also record-breaking among other representatives of the plant world. In a few hours, it completely absorbs the victim.
The main reason the Nepenthes became predatory is because they lacked organic food. When the Nepentes began to grow on the trees, they could not get to the soil. Their roots only tried to capture moisture in the air. Plants began to receive organic food exclusively thanks to their leaves.
Of course, in nature you can also find erect nepentheses. They grow in a humid place, mainly in swamps. Nepentes lure in the grass with their nectar-emitting jugs of unsuspecting insects, which themselves crawl into their ingenious trap.
Small Nepentes flowers have no petals. They are inconspicuous in comparison with beautiful jugs, which have a bright color and an unusual shape. Flowers are collected in panicles and brushes.
There are about 100 species and many cultural hybrids of Nepentes that came to us from the tropical forests of Asia and Australia. Nepentes are especially common on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, as well as in Indonesia, the Philippines, and northern India. N. Edwardsiana in Borneo parasitizes on trees. Tubular organs up to 60 cm long, their internal space is colorless, has an acid reaction and contains mainly malic and citric acids. N. Rajah - in Borneo, with purple tubes up to 40 cm long. N. destillatoria - in Ceylon.
Application
Nepentes used in a variety of ways. Their liquid can serve as a pleasant drink, and the shoot can even be used as a building material, and in its jugs the inhabitants of the tropics cooked rice.
In folk medicine, juice is used as a remedy for coughing and with inflammation of the bladder, with eye disease and inflammation of the skin. Decoctions from the roots and stems are drunk with dysentery or malaria.
Indoor cultivation
Some types of nepentes can be grown at home, which makes them a real decoration of the room thanks to attractive jugs.
As a decorative plant, a bright red Nepentes alata is bred. Home care will be described below. Representatives of this species are tall, curly. Their leaves are large and oval in shape. Pitchers can reach a length of almost 15 centimeters. It is usually yellow-green in color. It features burgundy streaks.
Nepentes: home care
Nepentes love bright places without drafts, year-round warm temperature and humidity of at least 70%. He is planted in a spacious florarium. The plant must be constantly ventilated.
A predatory nepentes plant prefers diffused light. It is important that it is fully protected from direct sunlight, because they can harm. Direct sunlight can burn a jug, which has very thin and sensitive walls. You should know that with a lack of light, the jug will not grow. Nepentes is harmful to keep in a dark place.
In addition, it is important to take into account the expected growth of nepenthes, because with age the plant can reach significant sizes.
If you have Nepentes, home care requires knowledge of how to make the soil mixture specifically for this plant. The main component is peat and land (turf), sand and sphagnum are also added. The ratio is 3: 2: 1: 2. Be sure to spray and water abundantly. Water should be warm and soft. And from March to September, supplements are added once every two weeks. You should choose a fertilizer for flowers and use it in a weak consistency.
If you decide to propagate nepentheses, then do this in early spring with the help of apical cuttings.
Hybrids
Hybrid varieties are more unpretentious. They cope with lower humidity and lack of light. Hybrids are suitable for those who are just starting to breed non-Pentes.
Diseases and Pests
Pest disease or infection is almost always the result of a miscarriage of care at home. Nepentes is sick quite often. If optimal conditions are not met, then in a humid and warm environment with insufficient light, infection with gray rot may begin. It also occurs when water stands for too long in a cup holder. Sick plants in this case must be removed.
Wilting is an indication of too little water and low humidity. Therefore, you need to regularly spray the plant and water more often.
Unusual spots or blotches on the leaves may indicate too intense sunlight. It is better to choose a bright, but not sunny place, and then nepentes will soon recover.
According to popular beliefs, Nepentes contribute to the emergence of philosophical thoughts. They make people think about the meaning of life ...