The pitcher (Na'vi name: 'ä'o) is a parasitic plant, drawing water, nutrients and carbohydrates from the roots of surrounding plants.
This plant is unique on Pandora, in that almost all of it grows underground. Above ground, it is composed of a single large purple leaf. However, it is still a flowering plant and needs a means of pollinating the flowers in order to produce seeds and insure its own survival. The large mitt-shaped purple leaf emerges from the soil once the hidden plant is mature, and it serves as a sentinel that "tests" the environment for suitability. If it survives to fully expanded size, the plant produces a flowering stalk next, which is a rare sight. The giant purplish-black flowers smell like rotting flesh and are pollinated by flies and carrion eating beetles.
Human colonists made a habit of collecting the leaves to use as makeshift baseball mitts, as they are useful as a leather substitute, but learned from the Na'vi to only do that when they occur in large groups.
Etymology[]
The plant was named by an ex-Marine with little knowledge of botanical nomenclature. This was because the large leaf naturally collects rainwater, which is safe to drink. Neytiri taught this to Jake Sully during his first few days with the Omatikaya clan.
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