Pitcher plant (Sarracenia hybrid) flowers. Sarracenia species number about a dozen in North America and are well adapted to sunny wetlands and poor acidic soil. Bees are the primary pollinators of the pendant flowers. Seed capsules can take nearly six months to mature and release their hundreds of seeds. Graceful flowers belie the carnivorous nature of these plants. The lip serves as a landing pad for flying insects that are ultimately tempted by the nectar glands on the underside of the lip - positioned directly over the long hollow tubular leaves (several visible in this photograph). Insects that fall from the lid struggle against the inner waxy surface and are directed toward the base of the narrowing leaves. Insects attempt to escape impending death but few can overcome the downward pitch of plant hairs nor can they fly straight up the narrow vertical interior where they bump against the inner leaf walls, falling repeatedly into a water bath where the clever pitcher plant produces a wetting agent that reduces wing effectiveness - and where digestive enzymes help the plant extract nutrients from captured prey.

Pitcher plant (Sarracenia hybrid) flowers. Sarracenia species number about a dozen in North America and are well adapted to sunny wetlands and poor acidic soil. Bees are the primary pollinators of the pendant flowers. Seed capsules can take nearly six months to mature and release their hundreds of seeds. Graceful flowers belie the carnivorous nature of these plants. The lip serves as a landing pad for flying insects that are ultimately tempted by the nectar glands on the underside of the lip - positioned directly over the long hollow tubular leaves (several visible in this photograph). Insects that fall from the lid struggle against the inner waxy surface and are directed toward the base of the narrowing leaves. Insects attempt to escape impending death but few can overcome the downward pitch of plant hairs nor can they fly straight up the narrow vertical interior where they bump against the inner leaf walls, falling repeatedly into a water bath where the clever pitcher plant produces a wetting agent that reduces wing effectiveness - and where digestive enzymes help the plant extract nutrients from captured prey.