Re: Neps liquid level

SCHLAUER@chemie.uni-wuerzburg.de
Thu, 21 Nov 1996 08:15:07

Dear Paul,

> More prey, more bacterial action and hence more enzyme production
> ultimately resulting in the absorption of nutrients; assuming of course
> Laurent's Nepenthes rely on bacterial aid.

Why assuming that, and why "of course"? The presence of endogenous
proteolytic and other hydrolytic enzymes in _Nepenthes_ pitcher
liquid has been amply demonstrated beyond doubt. I even think that
these are in fact the best characterized of any cp enzymes.

Please do *not* believe that *all* cps are subcarnivorous just
because this has been proved for _Roridula_ recently. We have these
problems *only* within Roridulaceae and Sarraceniaceae so far (and in
the latter *only* in _Darlingtonia_ and some species of
_Heliamphora_). BTW, according to rbcL classification Sarraceniaceae
and Roridulaceae are rather closely related to each other.

Kind regards
Jan