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Nepenthes

Nepenthes

1 9.9
A tropical plant with a leaf that makes a deep cup to trap and digest insects
  • proper noun
  • /nɪˈpɛnθiz/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Nepenthes
  • Tony Paroubek at Exotic Plants Plus is one of the best North American Nepenthes suppliers, and I recommend him without hesitation.
  • Nepenthes pitcher
  • Nepenthes species
  • genus Nepenthes

Examples

  • The Nepenthes plants in the rainforest have unique pitcher-shaped leaves that attract and digest insects.

  • At the beginning of this post, I have mentioned some weird happenings... and here are two plants that are weird looking, Nepenthes sp...

    Blog text (17)
  • Leilani Nepenthes is the continental agent for Sam Estes' nursery in Hawaii.

    Blog text (29)
  • Visitors to Borneo often marvel at the striking Nepenthes species found throughout the island.

  • Many gardeners appreciate Nepenthes for their unusual appearance and insect-catching abilities.

Synonyms

family Nepenthaceae
vsNepenthes
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of tropical plants that catch insects in cup-shaped leaves

is the same group but presented as the concise scientific family name
Nepenthaceae
vsNepenthes
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of tropical plants with pitcher-shaped leaves that catch and eat insects

is identical in members but recorded as the formal family term

Surface Forms

Nepenthes main

Etymology

Nepenthes comes from an old Greek name for a magic drink: the parts ne- ('not') and penthos ('grief') made a nepenthe, a potion that 'chased away sorrow'. Botanists gave the name to the pitcher plant because its deep cup holds liquid like a small potion, so the name fits the plant that traps and digests insects.