Pitcher Plant

pitcher plant, any carnivorous plant with pitcher-shaped leaves that form a passive pitfall trap. Old World pitcher plants are members of the family Nepenthaceae (order Caryophyllales), while those of the New World belong to the family Sarraceniaceae (order Ericales). The Western Australian pitcher plant (Cephalotus follicularis) is the only species of the family Cephalotaceae (order Oxalidales). Pitcher plants are found in a wide range of habitats with poor soil conditions, from pine barrens to sandy coastal swamps, and rely on carnivory to obtain nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. A few pitcher plants also utilize leaf litter or animal feces as a source of nutrients.