Madagascar: Palmarium Reserve – Yellow Madagascar Carnivorous Pitcher Plan

There is an absolutely unique plant that can be found at the swamps at Palmarium Reserve – the yellow pitcher plant aka Nepenthes madagascariensis, a species of endemic to Madagascar. It is actually featured in the 2000 ariary banknote! This is a carnivorous plant, that thrives in nutrient-poor, acidic soils where other plants struggle. The pitchers are green to yellow with reddish mottling, and the tubular traps are used to attract prey. The plant produces pitfall traps that attract and capture insects and other small animals. The inside of the pitcher is slippery and lined with digestive enzymes to break down captured prey, providing nutrients for the plant.