Nepenthes: care at home photos and description of carnivorous plants

Many lovers of exotic plants probably are aware of nepenthes. Care at home photos and description of the plants you will find in our article. So, let's begin.

General information

Nepentesov relate to predatory plants. The food they serve insects. In the wild grow mainly in peat bogs in acidic soil. There are very few nutrients that could absorb the roots of the plants. But nepentesov survive in these conditions. While they have adapted due to its unusual leaves that resemble a pitcher. The jar has a special lid for catching different insects: flies, mosquitoes, bugs… the Leaves are quite large. With the lid of the leaf-pitcher produces nectar, the insects fall down to the bottom. They can't keep, as the inner surface, i.e. wall, sheet covered with wax. Once trapped, the insect begins to rush, which causes the activity of the glands inside the pitcher. These glands produce caustic substances that for a couple of days fully capable of digesting a fly.

History

The First mention of nepenthes (plant photo and description in the article) dates back to 1658, when the French Governor Etienne de Flacourt toured Madagascar. He was fascinated by the unusual appearance of the plant. The second description refers to 1680. It is composed by a German traveler and adventurer Jacob Brain. But all they saw before them a beautiful plant and did not know what it catches insects.

Serious study of a unique culture took natural scientist Carl Linnaeus. He introduced into scientific circulation the generic name “nepenthes" (Nepenthes) in 1753 in his work Species Plantarum. Linnaeus named it in honor of the legendary herb of forgetfulness, napep referred to in “Odyssey” of Homer. According to the myth, a Spartan Princess, the beautiful Helen, got the grass, napep from the Queen of Egypt. She offered her son the Odyssey Telemachus, that he forgot all the sorrows and sadness. The word nepenthes is translated from Latin as "not sad". Nepenthes are sometimes used instead of opium. This plant is mentioned by the way, in the poems of the famous American writer Edgar Allan PoE, which, according to contemporaries, often resorted to drugs.

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In the nineteenth century, nepenthes has gained real popularity. Species and hybrids grown in his famous nursery scientific botanist Peter Christian. Since the 1960s these plants again experienced a boom thanks to the work of Japanese botanist Shigeo Kurata.

Today there are more than a hundred species and several hundred hybrids of nepenthes, some of them are sold in flower shops.

Family Napartovich

Nepenthaceae (Nepenthaceae) — a family of dicotyledonous, including several hundred clinging plants Indomalaysia region. They are related to the families Sarraceniaceae and Droseraceae. Repentive, like the representatives of the latter two families, are plant predators. Their main difference – dioecious flowers without Corolla and stamens odnoportsionnuyu.

Nepenthes. Description and habitat

Nepenthes (Nepenthes) - a plant of the family Nepenthaceae, which includes shrubs and shrubs with twining branches, and alternate, sessile or short simple leaves. Their elongated median vein develop a kind of tubular bodies with numerous, profusely secreting a watery fluid glands on the inner surface.

Nepentesov have two types of leaves – urceolate and simple. The first first is a long, narrow petiole. In the middle it becomes flat and wide, forming the shape of the sheet. This wide part is green, and in it there are processes of photosynthesis. After the stalk again becomes narrower and pass into the small thread — the tendril. The latter encircles a branch or trunk of the plant. At the end of the petiole is a leaf, forming a pitcher for catching insects.

So that rain water does not get into the pitcher, it protects “cover”. It is formed in the sheet cavity in the upper lobes. Pitchers don't just have a bright rim. The visible color of the border and glands secreted nectar on her serve to attract insects. The insect begins to examine the rim of the jug. No idea, it is taken in. There it is on a slippery section of the plant. This phase slips due to the wax coating. They covered the inner walls of the nepenthes at the side. The victim slips on the wax and turns on the bottom inside the jar. There are the glands that are responsible for digestion of nepenthes.

Nepenthes – one of the largest carnivorous plants in the world. His pitchers, which can reach impressive sizes, contain about two liters of fluid, which is produced by his glands. It is also able to fit in approximately two – three hundred insects. Of course, we are talking about the biggest representatives of the family Napartovich, which grows in tropical forests of Australia and Madagascar. Speed eating insect victims they have also a record compared to other representatives of the vegetable world. In a few hours it completely absorbs the victim.

The Main reason why the nepentesov became carnivorous is that they do notenough organic food. When the nepentesov began to grow on trees, they could not reach the soil. Their roots only tried to capture the moisture in the air. Organic food plants began to obtain solely due to its leaves.

Of Course, in nature we find and erect nepentesov. They grow in humid places, mostly in the marshes. The nepentesov lured into the grass with its exuding nectar jugs unsuspecting insects that creep themselves into their cunning trap.

Small flowers of the nepentesov do not have petals. They are inconspicuous in comparison with beautiful jugs with a bright color and unusual shape. Flowers are collected in the brooms and brushes.

There are about 100 species and a variety of cultural hybrids nepentesov, who came to us from the tropical forests of Asia and Australia. Nepentesov especially common on the Islands of Borneo and Sumatra, and in Indonesia, the Philippines and Northern India. N. Edwardsiana in Borneo, a parasite on trees. The tubular bodies of length up to 60 cm, the internal space is colourless, has an acid reaction and contains mainly malic and citric acid. N. Rajah — in Borneo, with purple tubes with the length up to 40 cm N. destillatoria — Ceylon.

Usage

Nepentesov used in many different ways. Their liquid can be a nice drink, and escape even be used as a building material, and its pitchers the inhabitants of the tropics boiled rice.

In folk medicine the juice is used as remedy against cough and inflammation of the bladder, with diseases of the eye and inflammation of the skin. Decoctions of roots and stems drink in dysentery or malaria.

Growing indoors

Certain types of nepentesov you can grow at home, making them a real decoration of the room thanks to attractive pitchers.

As ornamental plants bred bright red nepenthes Alata. Care at home will be described below. Representatives of this species tall, curly. Their leaves are large in size and have an oval shape. Pitchers can reach a length of almost 15 inches. Typically yellow-green in color. On it are the Burgundy streaks.

Nepenthes: care at home

Nepentesov love bright place without drafts, year-round warm temperature and humidity at least 70%. Plant it in a spacious Floriana. The plant shall be continuously ventilated.

Predator Plant nepenthes prefers filtered light. It is important that it is fully protected from direct sunlight, because they can hurt. Direct sunlight is able to burn a pitcher, which is very thin and delicate walls. You should know that lack of light when the pitcher will not grow. Nepenthes harmful to keep in the dark.

In addition, it is important to take into account the expected growth of nepenthes, because with age the plant can reach a considerable size.

If you have a nepenthes, a care home for them requires knowledge of how to make a soil mix specifically for this plant. The main component is peat and earth (sod), also add sand and sphagnum moss. The ratio of 3:2:1:2. Definitely need plenty of spray and water. The water should be warm and soft. And from March to September and add the feed once every two weeks. You should choose a fertilizer for flowers and use it in the weak consistency.

If you decide to propagate nepentesov, do it in early spring with apical cuttings.

Hybrids

The Hybrid varieties are more hardy. They cope with lower humidity and lack of light. Hybrids suitable for those who are just starting to breed nepentesov.

Diseases and pests

The Disease or the pest is almost always the result of an error in care in the home. Nepenthes hurts quite often. If you do not follow the optimal conditions, in a humid and warm environment with an insufficient amount of light can get infected Botrytis. It also occurs when the water stands too long in the Cup holder. Diseased plants in this case need to be removed.

Aging is an indicator of too little water and low humidity. Therefore, you should regularly spray the plant and water more frequently.

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 the nepenthes will soon be restored.

According to legends, the nepentesov contribute to the emergence of philosophical thoughts. Encourage the person to think about the meaning of life…