One of the many things I find so captivating (literally) and fascinating about carnivorous plants and Sarracenia are all of the many systems in place that lure in and capture their prey. Deadly beauty in both art and function. It’s all friggin’ awesome stuff!
The below photo is one that I managed to capture of a freshly opened Sarracenia excellens as the morning sunlight was filtering through this plants areoles. The hood will eventually fold over that opening. As the insect is attracted to the tube by the scent and nectar the plant will produce, it gets lured in deeper into the trap. Eventually, the meal wanders too far in and then tries to escape. Said meal sees the “windows” and thinks it can get out that way. The windows provide that “false hope” of escape for those bugs unfortunate enough to wander too far into the hole. As the meal tries to escape, the futile efforts lead to exhaustion and ultimately a nice meal for the plant.
Yes. Come to the light…
[Photo: Sarracenia leucophylla x minor var. okefenokeensis]
