Carnivorous Nepenthes pitcher plants combine common developmental processes to make a complex epidermal trapping surface.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

A hierarchical micro-topography of ridges and steps renders the trap rim of carnivorous Nepenthes pitcher plants unusually wettable, and slippery for insects when wet. This complex three-dimensional epidermis structure forms, hidden from plain sight, inside the still-closed developing pitcher bud. Here, we reveal the sequence of epidermal patterning events that shape the trap rim. By linking this sequence to externally visible markers of bud development, we provide a framework for targeting individual stages of surface development in future studies.

Methods

We used cryo-scanning electron microscopy to investigate the detailed morphogenesis and epidermal patterning of the Nepenthes × hookeriana pitcher rim. In addition, we collected morphometric and qualit

SUBMITTER: Lessware OC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11904891 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature