New species of giant, carnivorous plant discovered

At one end of the spectrum is seed packets for starting your home garden. Clear at the other end lies the pitcher plant — a species of carnivorous plant recently discovered in a mountain region of the Philippines.

First spotted by Christian missionaries in 2000, this plant is so large that it can capture insects and animals as big as rats. Its leaves form a tube, trapping an animal that gets too curious at the base.

Pitcher plants are the largest and most colorful carnivorous plants — although you’re probably more familiar with the venus fly trap, which captures insects by snapping together quickly in response to a touch or vibration against a leaf.