Pitcher plants (Sarracenia spp.) are carnivorous plants commonly found in coastal regions, bogs, and pond margins throughout Eastern North America. Although there are eight well-defined species of Sarracenia, plants readily produce hybrids in the wild. Strategies for obtaining limiting nutrients, such as phosphate and nitrogen, vary among species. Fluid samples were collected from the pitchers of S. jonesii, S. purpurea, and their hybrid over Summer 2016 from Sherwood Forest in Brevard, North Carolina. The fluid extracted from young pitchers was assayed to determine phosphatase activity in each of the species. Comparing the enzymatic activity of these parental species and their hybrid can contribute to the understanding of the consequences of hybridization.
