pitcher plant

American  

noun

1. any of various insectivorous New World bog plants of the genera Sarracenia, Darlingtonia, and Heliamphora, having tubular or trumpet-shaped leaves containing a liquid in which insects are trapped.

2. the common pitcher plant, S. purpurea, having red or green leaves and a large, nodding, globular dull-red flower.

3. any of various insectivorous Old World plants of the genus Nepenthes, having leathery leaves each ending in a tendril that bears a lidded, pitcherlike receptacle.

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pitcher plant British  

noun

1. any of various insectivorous plants of the genera Sarracenia , Darlingtonia , Nepenthes , and Cephalotus , having leaves modified to form pitcher-like organs that attract and trap insects, which are then digested See also huntsman's-cup

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Etymology

Origin of pitcher plant

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

Some carnivorous pitcher plants reflect UV light as part of their display, using colour, scent and nectar to lure prey.

From BBC

Keep an eye out for California pitcher plant, a native carnivorous plant.

From Los Angeles Times

Of this eclectic assembly, pitcher plants form one of the largest groups.

From National Geographic

In the case of the East Asian pitcher plant, this mutational freedom may have even fine-turned its ability to capture prey and satisfy its appetite for "meat."

From Science Daily

But when Baby and colleagues teased out the contents of the nectars of N. khasiana and several other pitcher plants growing in their institute’s botanic garden, they found something unexpected.

From Science Magazine