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Thread: Pitcher plants of Seri Aman

  1. #1
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    Pitcher plants of Seri Aman

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    Seri Aman is located in the lower part of Batang Lupar Of Sarawak. There is a big (disturbed) peat swamp forest in the outskirt of this small town and illegal logging activity is very serious in that area.

    There is an interesting pitcher plant which is very common in the peat swamp of Borneo called Nepenthes bicalcarata. This beautiful species of pitcher plant can be found near the peat swamp forest of Seri Aman. This is my very first time to see the wild N. bicalcarata.


    A big blackwater river in the countryside of Seri Aman.







    The habitat of N. bicalcarata is on the slope of a small hill (secondary forest) on the left side of this gravel road. Opposite is the disturbed peat swamp forest.





    Gosh!!! Such a beautiful Nepenthes bicalcarata!!!


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    N. bicalcarata has a pair of "fang-like" nectar glands. (to attract the insects)





    N. bicalcarata grows on a slope of a hill near the roadside:






    The inflorescence of N. bicalcarata (male flowers):

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    The most amazing thing about this pitcher plant is.....it plays host to a species of ant which can swim or dive in the fluid of a pitcher!!!! This ant is called Camponotus schmitzi. My eyes almost popped out when I saw it "dived" into the fluid to haul up a carcass of a black ant & eating it!!! (other species of ant which was drown inside the pitcher) It's very hard to photograph this tiny ant inside the pitcher.







    Camponotus schmitzi can crawl around the slippery pitcher wall !!! The photo below is showing this species ant is enjoying it's lunch: a dead black ant :




    Side by side : N. bicalcarata (left) and N. ampullaria (right).


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    Wowwwww!!! Found the red (spotted) N. ampullaria!!!




    And, first time found a red coloured N. x kuchingensis.....oh no, I almost fainted on the ground.







    Another natural cross hybrid species: N. x hookeriana:





    The flower of a species of terrestrial orchid:

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    mikey, your commentaries these days very drama
    why I don't do garden hybrids and aquarium strains: natural species is a history of Nature, while hybrids are just the whims of Man.
    hexazona · crumenatum · Galleria Botanica

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    Quote Originally Posted by hwchoy View Post
    mikey, your commentaries these days very drama
    Really?? Ha!ha!
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    yah can making me damn gian to go jalan jalan myself
    why I don't do garden hybrids and aquarium strains: natural species is a history of Nature, while hybrids are just the whims of Man.
    hexazona · crumenatum · Galleria Botanica

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    But what has the pitcher has to gain to host the ants that eats it's food?
    Read me! :bigsmile: http://justikanz.blogspot.com/

    I'm crypt collecting... Starting cheap, now have Cryptocoryne beckettii, C.beckettii var petchii, C.crispatula var.balansae, C.griffithii(Melted! ), C.nurii, C.parva, C.pygmaea(Melted! ), C.tonkinensis(Melted! ), C.walkeri, C.wendtii 'Brown', C.wendtii 'Green', C.wendtii 'Green Gecko', C.wendtii 'Tropica' and Cryptocoryne x willisii

    Oh, juggling is hard work, man!...

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    Quote Originally Posted by Justikanz View Post
    But what has the pitcher has to gain to host the ants that eats it's food?
    Ants can protect the plant & the plant will let the ant stay with it.
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  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by kuching View Post
    The most amazing thing about this pitcher plant is.....it plays host to a species of ant which can swim or dive in the fluid of a pitcher!!!! This ant is called Camponotus schmitzi. My eyes almost popped out when I saw it "dived" into the fluid to haul up a carcass of a black ant & eating it!!! (other species of ant which was drown inside the pitcher)
    Interesting. Wouldn't the ant be robbing the plant of it's nutrient as well?

    Anyway, diving ants is a first for me. I had always assumed that ants drown in water.

    Cheers,
    I have dwarf cichlids in my tanks! Do you?

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    Beautiful! I'm always fascinated with pitchers but never have any luck with them...
    ...I love rubies too ...
    Ken

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    Quote Originally Posted by benny View Post
    Interesting. Wouldn't the ant be robbing the plant of it's nutrient as well?

    Anyway, diving ants is a first for me. I had always assumed that ants drown in water.

    Cheers,
    No, the ant population is not big, so there are plenty of "food" left for pitcher plants.
    Wanna see Borneo? Just click...http://junglemikey.blogspot.com/

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