Pitcher Carnivorous Plants (Sarracenia)
These plants are passive Carnivores, which is to say the insect is
attracted to the pitcher by its smell and colour, and it then proceeds
to move down the pitcher, past downward-pointing hairs make it
impossible for the insect to travel back upwards.
The Sarracenia Genus has eight species or varieties and many more
hybrids. Species include:
- Sarracenia Alata - This plant is native to Texas in the USA, and has
light yellow petals to the flowers. The pitchers are long and tubular
and have a rounded lid and a few red veins.
- Sarracenia Flava - This plant differs from Alata in that the hood
seems to have been pinched at the back, forming a waisted look. The
throat itself is a crimson colour. Flava is often more yellow than Alata,
although again there is diversity within this species and both dark
green and deep red forms can be found.
- Sarracenia Minor - This plant is common to the south-east of the USA
and has pitchers seldom exceeding 60 centimeters which makes it a
shorter plant than the Alata, Flava or Leucophylla; but still very
interesting, with its rounded hood and white patches.
Sarracenia Oreophylla
This species usually loses all its pitchers over the winter period,
leaving the plant with winter leaves, called Phyllodia. These winter
leaves are non-carnivorous and will appear only in mature plants.
Sarracenia Leucophylla
Leucophylla is one of the most striking of the tall Sarracenias with
its white throat and red veins going down to a green base. This together
with its ruffled lid and extreme height makes it a very attractive plant
and an excellent species to hybridise with.
Sarracenia Psittacina
Pitchers on this species initially grow straight up, then as the top
becomes fatter and redder it falls back to lie horizontally on the
surface of the soil.
Sarracenia Purpurea
There are two different types of Purpurea the Sarracenia Purpurea and
Purpurea Heterophylla. The plant's attractiveness lies in the shape of
the deep burgundy and have a ruffled hood with the ever present downward
pointing hairs.
Sarracenia Rubra
Like the Purpurea this species has a number of varieties that have
caused considerable controversy. The sub species have been named Rubra
Rubra, Jonesii, Rubra Gulfensis, Rubra Alabamensis and Rubra Wherryi.
The first spring pitchers of the Rubra vary from the later season
pitchers; this together with the fact that each of the sub species
varies in such characteristics as height and thickness makes
identification extremely difficult.
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