About the Guest
Dr. Rob Naczi is the Arthur Cronquist Curator of North American Botany at NYBG. He studies floristics, systematics, and conservation of North American plants, particularly Cyperaceae and Sarraceniaceae.
Episode 5
Pitcher Plants with Dr. Rob Naczi
In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Rob Naczi, Arthur J. Cronquist Curator of North American Botany at the New York Botanical Garden. Listen in as he and host Jennifer Bernstein, NYBG President and CEO, discuss pitcher plants—carnivorous plants with unique leaves that function as traps for insects. They might look exotic, but there’s even a species native to New York. In summer, you can find them growing alongside the boardwalk here in the Native Plant Garden! Come explore why these important plants still have much to teach us, and the environmental threats they currently face.
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Systematics of Pitcher Plants: Long-Standing Problems, Outside-the-Box Solutions
April 1, 2026; 5 p.m.
Online
Despite much prior study using a variety of traditional and modern methods, significant questions remain about the evolutionary relationships and history of the Western Hemisphere Pitcher Plants (Sarraceniaceae). Symbiotic arthropods present one potential means of addressing these long-standing problems, independently from previous methods. This webinar will include examples of arthropods contributing to solve problems in pitcher plant taxonomy, phylogeny, and biogeography.
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Learn more about what was referenced during the episode, along with a transcript from the discussion.
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