The Carnivorous Periuk Kera

The pitcher plant reminds me of life near the tin mine of Aulong in the 70s.

While browsing for some plants at a nursery near Cheras yesterday's afternoon, I came across the pitcher plant. I have been looking for it for quite sometimes; not realizing that they had always been there under my nose, and not even knowing. My problem obviously that I have always been looking downwards, and not enough looking upwards. The reason being that these pitchers plants are all hanging up from the ceiling!

My pitcher plant hanging from the roof. Eat, eat away all insects.

I remember my trip to KK many years ago. Not having much to do while waiting for my flight, I browsed one gift shop there and saw a pitcher plant on sale. It was a tiny one, and the asking price then was RM30. "Too expensive," I thought, passing up the chance of owning this plant I first saw when I was a small child in Taiping.

So when I was there in KK again last January, I went to the shop only to be told that they have ran out of them.

When the whole of the tin mines in Aulong was our playing field, I remember that the pitcher plants can be found in abundant. I was fascinated by the fact that the pitchers because of their carnivorous nature. In other words, they feed on insects!

Well, in the age on the non-existence of internet and computers, we spent a reasonable amount of time outdoor. Fortunately these sort of plants were available in their natural environment in abundant, and we don't have to resort to National Geographic or Discovery Channels to know them.

Just imagine - a plant eating insects, with its enzyme slowly digesting them. Stuff B grade movies are made of, but I guess this is much better than many B grade movies shown on Astro!
However, there was a price to pay for development, and many of these plants became extinct with time.

Apparently there are many benefits of these pitcher plants, beyond a good and natural method to get rid of insects! There are stories floating around that the water inside the pitcher plants is good for the eyes. If you don't believe them, go around visiting the orang asli settlement (and this is especially great at this time if you aspire to be a YB); count how many orang aslis would be using glasses!
I have also found out from the various sites on the net that it is also good for enhancing the growth of your hair, which is really good for yours truly; one would need to use the water in the pitcher on the scalp. Of course one can also boil the pitcher and the stem for one hour and drink the water; it is supposed to help those with hypertension.

Aah well, the question is whether I would have it in me to drink or use water in the pitcher.

I keep on thinking about the giant insects that were eaten alive in that pitcher and there is no way I would be drinking its water.

Would you?