Pitcher plants, new dollar opportunity for Filipinos

Tacloban City (May 27) — The pitcher plant which locals call “pitsel-pitsel” and which scientist call as nephentes promises to be the new source of dollar opportunity for the Filipinos and for the Philippines.

The pitcher plant has drawn and heightened the interests of many plant hobbyist, researchers and collectors from all over the world, due to its unique features and adaptation.

It forms large pitchers (modified leaves) that can reach as long as 21 inches (lid included). It has a carnivorous “feeding” behavior where the pitchers or modified leaves secrete enzymes that digest trapped insects or small mammals (e.g. a mouse). So, one can only imagine the Nepenthes (Pitcher Plant) as a hybrid between a plant and an animal. Collectors and hobbyist have a pet and a plant in one. Already, the web is full of sites about pitcher plant nursery in the Philippines, travel packages to pitcher plant locations and pitcher plants for sale, particularly to Mindanao.

PitcherPlantFever.com in Australia lists the varieties of pitcher plants and their prices as follows: N. Mira from Mt. Palawan, Philippines, AUD 45.00; N. Petiolata, Mindanao, Phillipines, AUD 45.00; N. Copelandii,, Mt. Apo, Phillipines, AUD 45.00; N.Truncata highland, Highland form, Mt. Pasian, Phillipines, AUD 90.00; N. Copelandii, From Mt. Pasian, AUD 50.00. The pitcher plant, a carnivorous plant having pitcher-shaped leaves, is being traded as an ornamental in the international market fetching about US$ 14 - 40 per plant. However, the only source of this plant is from the wilds. Such exploitative activity will eventually decrease its natural population; hence, conservation measures are direly needed.

Conservation, multiplication and proper use of pitcher plants must therefore be encouraged. It is in this light that the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD), a sectoral council of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has sponsored a research project led by Dr. Eufemio T. Rasco, Jr. of the College of Science and Mathematics in UP Mindanao, Bago Oshiro, Davao City.

The project seeks to look into the conservation and multiplication of this plant using tissue culture and clonal propagation from callus-derived plantlets. The project will focus on Nepenthes truncata Macf., an endemic species of the Philippines and considered as endangered per listing in the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES). Lower pitcher of Nepenthes truncata from Mindanao, in the Phillippines, is one of the biggest Nepenthes species in the world. A lowland Nepenthes truncata show nectar production on the front of the pitcher lip.

The nectar is spiked with narcotic, so that the visitor soon feel giddy, loses it balance or footing and plunges into a vat of watery digestive juices where it drowns. To meet the growing demands, pitcher plants are collected in the wilds and the pressure to collect more is heightened. Most often and always, they simply die in inexperienced hands. Given the University of the Philippines ’ (UPMin’s) conservation efforts and recognizing its economic potentials, it has focused its R&D efforts in propagating this endangered plant. These efforts have produced positive and promising results as far as propagation of Nepenthes or Pitcher plant is concerned. The successful technique in propagating the Nepenthes or Pitcher Plant as a product of the 5-years of research and experimentation, will ensure the conservation of wild populations and at the same time provide a diversified opportunity for income generation in the rural sector.

Pitcher plants abounds in many places of the Philippines. In Region 8, pitcher plants from the mountains are often seen being sold. Pitcher plants are also known to abound at Mt. Mount Pulag National Park covers about 11,560 hectares of public domain that lies on the north and south spine of the Grand Cordillera Central Mountain Ranges in the municipalities of Bokod, Kabayan and Buguias in Benguet; the municipality of Tinoc in Ifugao; and the municipality of Kayapa in Nueva Viscaya.

There are about twelve species of pitcher plants recorded in the Philippines. The websites mention N. alata ‘Quezon lowland’ which is described as an easy beginners plant, that grows in a wide range of altitudes (0-2400m), light levels and produces pitchers even during dry season. It looks best when it get lots of indirect light and the pitchers increase in size and become reddish. It originates from the mountains of central Luzon.

There is also N. alata ‘Mindoro lowland.’ Almost every mountainous island in the Philippines seems to have an alata variety. And all of them look slightly different. We got this plant as a cutting from a beach resort at the northern shore of Mindoro. Alata belongs to those species that can keep numerous pitchers in a good condition. N. ampullaria ’spotted’ is a favorite of many growers, as the basal rosettes are crowded with pitchers. The lid is widely opened and allows rain water to enter. Some recent research suggests, that it also enjoys consuming plant parts and other objects falling into the pitchers aside from insects. Opposite to other pitcher plants there are not much digestive enzymes found in the plant, some of the digestive process is even done by bacteria. The plant loves moist conditions and can also be found in shadier locations. However, we grow it very sunny, which it seems to enjoy.

This is also a plant with very long lasting pitchers. It can be found in many countries in south east Asia like the Philippines and typically prefers elevations of less than 100m, although it occurs up to 1000m. N. belli is a small lowlander (250-800m) from eastern Mindanao in the southern Philippines. This plant resembles somewhat N. merriliana. The extremely long tendrils are notable. It is synonymous to N. globamphora. N. mindanaoensis is a lowland pitcher plant with thick and hairy leafs. It grows steadily, but doesn’t try to become big fast, pitchers don’t last long, too. The name refers to its location in north eastern Mindanao, Southern Philippines.

Of the 12 known species of pitcher plants in the Philippines, five are known to occur in Mindanao. There could still be many undescribed and unnamed species in the island. Let the Filipinos’ appreciation of the country’s flora called the pitcher plant transcend towards conservation as the only way of sustaining the livelihood and income opportunities derived from the country’s very own giant insect-eating plant declared as the King of Carnivorous Plants. (PIA