DIPANJAN GHOSH & SREEPARNA GHOSH
Ghatparni (locally known as Tiew-rakot) Article is the only pitcher plant of India that occurs across a very small area in
Feature Meghalaya. Presently about twenty populations of this Nepenthes hamata plant survive in the wild. India’s Only Pitcher Plant In Peril
other than soil. They catch prey in specially Pitcher plants have a prey-trapping adapted traps. The endogenous enzymes mechanism that is basically a deep cavity then digest the proteins and nucleic acids or pitcher filled with liquid known as pitfall in the prey, releasing amino acids and trap. It has been widely assumed that the VER since their discovery by the phosphate ions, which the plant various sorts of pitfall traps have evolved legendary naturalist Charles Darwin absorbs. from rolled leaves. However, pitcher plants Ein 1875, insectivorous plants continue to fascinate due to their devouring nature. The Mocassin plant (Cephalotus follicularis) These carnivorous plants derive some or most of their nutrients (but not energy) from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans, typically insects and other arthropods. Insectivorous plants are the only plant group in the entire plant kingdom that live by hunting tiny animals. Insectivorous plants are adapted to grow in places where the soil is thin or poor in nutrients, especially nitrogen, such as acidic bogs and rock outcroppings. Nutrient deficiency in the inhabiting soil or water bodies has forced these plants to face such hardship. Insectivorous plants have, thus, developed a unique way to get the nutrients they need from sources 53 SCIENCE REPORTER, JUNE 2012 Feature Article
The Sun pitcher (Heliamphora chimantensis)
The North American pitcher plant (Sarracenia rubra)
Ghatparni plants The Cobra lily mainly catch small (Darlingtonia insects, like ants, californica) beetles, bugs, flies, midges, termites, etc There are 14 genera of and protozoans. insectivorous plants comprising Nepenthes khasiana or Tiew-rakot (as locally known) in its natural Sometimes small about 1000 species, in the plant habitat at Jowai, Meghalaya (Photo credit: Shreya Middya) crabs and snails are kingdom. trapped.
are broadly classified into two categories. The potential for long-term survival of this species in the The old world pitcher plants are often wild is uncertain, and will surely depend on the climbers, whose pitchers arise from the terminal portion of the leaves. The new continuing efforts of local communities world pitcher plants are ground-dwelling distribution and is almost rare in the wild. occur in the Jarain, Jowai and Umtra area herbs, whose pitchers arise from a In fact, within a quarter of a century after of the Jaintia Hills, the Baghmara, horizontal rhizome. independence, the majority of N. Balpakram and Maheskhola area of the There are 14 genera of insectivorous khasiana habitats in India had been Garo Hills, and Lawbah and plants comprising about 1000 species. destroyed, and the remaining populations Mawlynnong region of the East Khasi Among them Cephalotus, Darlingtonia, had declined severely as a result of rapid Hills of Meghalaya within 100-1500 m Heliamphora, Nepenthes and Sarracenia urbanization and indiscriminate altitude, where this species grows are the pitcher bearing carnivorous plant specimen collection for trading endemically. genera. Nepenthes belongs to the purposes. ‘Monkey Cup’ is the regular monotypic family Nepenthaceae. It has During the 1970s, in an effort to cognomen of all the tropical pitcher plant about 90 species (including natural hybrids protect the remaining stands of this species associated with the genus and cultivars) that are found throughout species in the wild, the Government of Nepenthes. This popular name refers to the tropical old world countries. India banned the export of N. khasiana the fact that monkeys have been plants and listed the species as critically observed drinking rainwater from these Distribution endangered on Appendix I of the plants. In Hindi, it is known as The pitcher plant genus Nepenthes is Convention on International Trade in ‘Ghatparni’. native to places like North Australia, Endangered Species (CITES). Apart from The aboriginal people of Meghalaya Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka, Borneo, New N. khasiana, there are a few other (all have a long association with this plant. The Guinea, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as found outside India) most threatened Khasi people call it ‘Tiew-rakot’ meaning many islands and landmasses around the endangered species, such as N. ‘demon-flower’ or ‘devouring plant’. Pacific Ocean. aristolochiodes, N. clipeata, N. rajah and Jaintias call it ‘ Kset phare’ which means India is home to a single pitcher plant N. rigidifolia. ‘lidded fly net’ whereas Garo people call species, known as Nepenthes khasiana. Today isolated precarious it ‘Memang koksi’ meaning the ‘basket of This particular species has a very localised populations of N. khasiana are known to the devil’. SCIENCE REPORTER, JUNE 2012 54 Feature Article
Illegal trade in Nepenthes plant
continues unabated. Photo by Nachiketa Pramanick and Shreya Meddya Isolated incidents of damaging this rare Nutrient deficiency in the wonder by students inhabiting soil or water bodies has (during their forced these plants to face such excursions) also hardship. Insectivorous plants happen frequently. have, thus, developed a unique Spontaneous way to get the nutrients they need participation of local from sources other than soil. They people in conservation programmes is also catch prey in specially adapted lacking. traps.
The Plant hundred or more seeds. Seeds are very some superficial variations with that of N. khasiana. Again, certain populations of N. Ghatparni grows mostly in moist, acidic light and have long wings to be carried by mirabilis produce pitchers that resemble and nutrient-deficient soils, sometimes in the wind. those of N. khasiana, although their finely sandy ground and even up cliff faces. N. khasiana has a few distinctive fimbriate leaf margin is unknown to N. However, the soil needs to be light and characteristics that distinguish it from other khasiana. airy. The plant likes to grow as a climbing morphologically similar species. It is closely or scrambling vine. The long foliage leaves related to N. distillatoria, and distinguishing radiate out in a rosette fashion from a between these plants may not be easy. Useful Snare Ghatparni has pitfall traps. Pitfalls are central climbing stem. N. khasiana has two The two species differ most obviously in passive traps. In contrast with other types of pitchers – the lower and the upper. the form of their inflorescences. N. carnivorous plants, the pitcher plants (as The lower pitchers are up to 12 cm tall distillatoria is with widely spaced tri- to well as the traps) do not move with their and 4.5 cm wide while the upper pitchers penta-flowered partial peduncles which prey. Insects are attracted by the brightly are up to 21 cm tall and 5 cm wide. The is absent in N. khasiana. The lid of N. coloured pitcher covered with colourful entire pitcher (both lower and upper) is distillatoria is very glandular beneath and lid projecting over the mouth or by the tinged with exciting colours. The outer side its leaves are slightly decurrent, whereas in odour of the nectar. Nectar is secreted of the pitcher is yellowish green or N. khasiana the glands are more diffuse from the glands at the entrance of the occasionally orange to pink, sometimes beneath the lid and the leaves are often pitcher as well as at the lower surface of mottled with faint red or orange blotches. strongly decurrent. The shape of the lids the lid. Each pitcher-trap contains a The inner side of the pitcher is yellow, and colouration of the pitchers also differs copious amount of liquid (a mixture of orange or pink and the peristome may be to some extent. Moreover, the lower deposited rainwater and dew drops as yellow, green, orange, pink or red. The lid pitchers of N. distillatoria are more swollen well as enzymatic and acidic secretion). often has a red underside. Some plants in the basal portion than those of N. The inner surface of the pitcher is very produce pitchers with a faint orange or khasiana that are comparatively slippery. reddish band just below the peristome, cylindrical. Once inside, the insect finds it cannot making the pitchers more attractive. Nepenthes khasiana may also be get a grip on the walls of the pitcher N. khasiana flowers between June to confused with two other morphologically because a flaky wax on the interior surface October. The fruit is capsular and 20-25 similar species such as N. tomoriana and peels off as it struggles to climb. Eventually, mm long. A mature fruit contains five N. vieillardii. But both the species lack truly petiolate leaves and their pitchers show the insect falls into the liquid and struggles 55 SCIENCE REPORTER, JUNE 2012 Feature Article These carnivorous plants derive some or most of their nutrients (but not energy) from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans, typically insects and other arthropods. Insectivorous plants are the only plant group in the entire plant kingdom that live by Photo by Nachiketa Pramanick and Shreya Meddya hunting tiny animals.
to escape. The motion caused by the applied as an antidote on leprosy patients. time to time by various organizations like struggle stimulates digestive glands to Apart from certain ethno-medicinal uses, the Centre of Advanced Study in Botany, release a proteolytic enzyme and hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effect North Eastern Hill University; National digestive acid. These two secretory of N. khasiana has been clinically tested in Orchidorium, Shillong; Experimental materials help in digestion of the prey. Then rats. Recently researchers at Tel-Aviv Garden of Botanical Survey of India, numerous absorbing glands of the internal University of Israel have found that the liquid Yercaud and by the Ministry of Forests and pitcher wall soak up the extracts of the inside the pitcher contains a compound Environment, Government of India. digested remains. Besides, in any mature that fights off fungal infections by breaking Techniques like tissue culture, pitcher, a heap of undigested down the fungi’s chitinous cell wall. micropropagation and germplasm exoskeletons are also noticed. preservation have also been administered Ghatparni plants mainly catch small Conservation Crisis to N. khasiana. As a result, some insects (like ants, beetles, bugs, flies, Ghatparni is among the most critically populations of N. khasiana are now midges, termites, etc) and protozoans. endangered of all Nepenthes species. permanently protected, although the Sometimes small crabs and snails are Presently a few populations of this plant result is not fully satisfactory in all the cases. trapped. Unexpectedly some inanimate survive in the wild. Three main reasons – However, illegal trade in Nepenthes agents like bird droppings or a good habitat destruction, decimation of plant continues unabated. Isolated amount of dead plant parts falling from species and fragmentation of large incidents of damaging this rare wonder the forest canopy are also held within the contiguous populations into isolated by students (during their excursions) also pitchers and digested. However, the small and scattered ones – have happen frequently. Spontaneous Malaysian pitcher (Nepenthes rajah), the rendered N. khasiana increasingly participation of local people in largest pitcher bearing plant, is able to trap vulnerable in its native land. Human conservation programmes is also comparatively larger preys such as small population growth coupled with certain lacking. reptiles and mammals like mice. anthropogenic activities such as The potential for long-term survival deforestation, coal mining, limestone of this species in the wild is uncertain, Medicinal Benefits extraction, road and bridge and will surely depend on the continuing Nepenthes khasiana has some medicinal construction, increasing production of efforts of local communities to preserve values. Tribals of Khasi, Garo and Jaintia wastes and pollutants and expanding those habitats of Nepenthes that still Hills are acquainted with the medicinal agriculture are largely responsible for the remain. properties of pitcher plants. Its juice destruction of habitats leading to extracted from the leaves is said to be decline in the species viability. helpful for diabetic patients as well as for However, the main threat to the Mr Dipanjan Ghosh is a postgraduate teacher in those who suffer from difficulties in passing pitcher plant’s existence in accessible Biology in a Govt. Sponsored Higher Secondary urine. Khasi and Garo people use the fluid habitats is posed by human collectors. Its School situated in Burdwan, West Bengal. Address: of the unopened pitcher as an eye-drop strange shape and carnivorous habit have Chotonilpur Pirtala, P.O. Sripally, Dist. Bardhaman- for cataract and night blindness. The made it a curiosity for the common 713103, West Bengal; Email: Jaintias use N. khasiana for treating the people, tourists, college and university [email protected] inflamed skin, stomach trouble and students participating in botanical Ms Sreeparna Ghosh is associated with an NGO gynaecological problems. excursions, and so on. that is engaged in environmental problems and The Garos crush the dried plant until it Various in situ and ex situ conservation children’s awareness through education; Email: is reduced to powder. Then this powder is measures have been implemented from [email protected] SCIENCE REPORTER, JUNE 2012 56