About Sarracenia psittacina Michx.
Sarracenia psittacina Michx., commonly called the parrot pitcherplant, is a carnivorous plant belonging to the genus Sarracenia. Like all species in the Sarracenia genus, it is native to North America, specifically the Southeastern United States. This species uses the same trapping mechanism as Darlingtonia californica. It has a small entrance to its pitcher; prey enter this entrance to seek more nectar that the plant produces along the rim of the pitcher mouth. Once inside, prey become confused by light that passes through false exit structures called "windows", and crawl toward the brighter area deeper into the pitcher. The interior of the pitcher is densely lined with criss-crossed, downward-facing hairs that force prey further downward, into a liquid-filled region of the pitcher that contains high concentrations of digestive enzymes, including proteases. In its native habitat, this species is often submerged. While submerged, it captures aquatic prey such as water-dwelling arthropods and tadpoles.
