School of Environment and Sustainability, Royal Roads University, Victoria, BC, Canada.
Plant Signal Behav. 2010 Jun;5(6):644-8. doi: 10.4161/psb.5.6.11238.
Nepenthes is the largest genus of pitcher plants, with its centre of diversity in SE Asia. The plants grow in substrates that are deficient in N and offset this deficiency by trapping animal prey, primarily arthropods. Recent research has provided new insights into the function of the pitchers, particularly with regard to prey tapping and retention. Species examined to date use combinations of wettable peristomes, wax layers and viscoelastic fluid to trap and retain prey. In many respects, this has redefined our understanding of the functioning of Nepenthes pitchers. In addition, recent research has shown that several Nepenthes species target specific groups of prey animals, or are even evolving away from a strictly carnivorous mode of operation. Future research into nutrient sequestration strategies and mechanisms of prey attraction would no doubt further enhance our knowledge of the ecology of this remarkable genus.
猪笼草是最大的猪笼草属，其多样性中心在东南亚。这些植物生长在氮含量不足的基质中，通过捕捉主要是节肢动物等动物猎物来弥补这种不足。最近的研究为猪笼草的功能提供了新的见解，特别是在猎物敲击和保留方面。迄今为止，研究过的物种使用可润湿的缘齿、蜡层和粘弹性流体的组合来捕捉和保留猎物。在许多方面，这重新定义了我们对猪笼草瓶状体功能的理解。此外，最近的研究表明，一些猪笼草物种以特定的猎物动物群体为目标，甚至正在逐渐远离严格的肉食性运作模式。对营养物质隔离策略和猎物吸引力机制的未来研究无疑将进一步增强我们对这一非凡属的生态的了解。
