Small pitcher plant
| Small pitcher plant | ||||||||||||
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Small pitcher plant ( Sarracenia minor ) |
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| Sarracenia minor | ||||||||||||
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The pitcher plant ( Sarracenia minor ) is a plant species native to North America from the genus pitcher plants ( Sarracenia ) in the pitcher plant family (Sarraceniaceae).
description
The small pitcher plant is a typical, upright pitcher plant with a horizontal rhizome .
As the botanical name suggests ("minor" means "small"), the plant is small compared to other Sarracenia species. The tubes are 25 to 35 cm long (some 50 cm).
The leaves have an ingenious means of luring and deceiving their victims: the very characteristic lid with translucent "windows" on the back of the tube mouth, which is very characteristic of this species. The mouth of the hose is completely covered by the lid, the lid and the upper part of the hose turn bronze-red when exposed to intense sunlight.
The pitcher plant seems to attract ants in particular, but also flies and wasps. These are often lured up to the edge of the trap in large numbers by traces of nectar along the wing bar.
The light yellow / sulfur yellow flowers appear from March to May.
distribution
The plant can be found in the coastal areas from central Florida via Georgia to the southern part of North Carolina . The particularly tall, slimmer form ( Sarracenia minor "Okefenokee Giant") can be found in the Okefenokee swamps (southern Georgia). Sarracenia minor grows in wetlands and - compared to other Sarracenia species - also in drier areas (especially in Florida). The location is sometimes also more shady, with the plants from shady wetlands becoming larger than their "sunny dry companions".
Systematics
In addition to the nominate form Sarracenia minor var. Minor , the variety Sarracenia minor var. Okefenokeensis has also been described Schnell . It has considerably larger tubes, 60 to 90 cm (occasionally up to 120 cm), blooms around two weeks later than the nominate form, prefers very wet habitats, occurs only in the Okefenokee swamp in Georgia.
Botanical history
The first drawings of the plant were made by Matthias de L'Obel in 1576 and described by Thomas Walter in 1788 .
literature
- Donald Schnell: Sarracenia minor Walt. var. okefenokeensis Schnell: A New Variety. In: Carnivorous Plant Newsletter. Vol. 31, No. 2, 2002, ISSN 0190-9215 , pp. 36-39, ( digital version (PDF; 1.23 MB) ).
Web links
- data sheet
- Sarracenia minor inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: Schnell, D., Catling, P., Folkerts, G., Frost, C., Gardner, R. & et al. , 2000. Retrieved May 12, 2014.