Contours that kill: New study shows geometry influences prey capture in carnivorous pitcher plants

Botanist Dr Chris Thorogood with pitcher plants at Oxford Botanic Garden. Nepenthes pitcher plants. ‘Mathematical modelling enables us to test them.’The University of Oxford Botanic Garden cultivates an extensive research collection of carnivorous Nepenthes pitcher plants. You can get up close to a wide range of Nepenthes pitcher plants by visiting the Oxford Botanic Garden. The study ‘Mechanics reveals the role of peristome geometry in prey capture in carnivorous pitcher plants (Nepenthes)’ has been published in PNAS.