The Florida Carnivorous Plant Society

Education and dedication......lead to conservation.

                                                                                                                                            Pinguicula planifolia revisited... Hybrids anyone?


So....How wet do they like it??


(Above; Pinguicula planifolia and Pinguicula ionantha under 5 inches of water...)


Obviously two of my favorite Pinguicula, I still marvel at the fact of just how wet these two species like it.
I've seen them in nearly drought-stricken conditions in which they appeared quite sickly, to being submerged with as much as 7 inches of water for months at a time. In some cases, the flower spikes were barely above the water, which reminded one of Utricularia from a distance...
Rarely will one see hoardes of Drosera capillaris or other carnivorous plants growing with these gorgeous sub-aquatic Pinguicula. Usually they grow in vast numbers, along with Sarracenia psittacina and Sarracenia rosea, around the drier edges of the submerged zones.


(Above; Sarracenia rosea growing around outskirts of submersion zone.)

Above; The gorgeous flower of Sarracenia rosea.)


Surprisingly enough, the water in these submersion zones is crystal clear year round, even in the hottest weather of our Florida summer. I've been quite surprised on many a Summer visit to these sites, when upon entering the ponds I was reminded of being in a very warm bath. The water temperatures had to be in the 90F to 100F range, but the plants appeared healthy and unscathed...
Strangely enough, the plants do retain some of their mucilage during submersion and continue trapping small larvae and such while submerged.


(Above; partially submerged P. planifolia in habitat...
Below; comparision of P. planifolia with an American quarter.)

Interestingly enough, over the years I have noticed striking simularities between P. planfolia and P. ionantha in the field. I've seen P. ionantha with purple flowers and I've seen P. planifolia with white flowers. There are also plants that appear to have hybrid influences of the two combined. Despite hundreds of plants in any given locale, amazing hybrid simularities between plants can be noted where the two species zones collide. Despite growing in the exact same conditions with no shade cover of any sorts, Plants can be found that have the rounded leaf tips like P. ionantha, but also a slight pinkish color which is supposedly found only with P. planifolia! I know of only one treasured area in the Florida Panhandle where this is the case. This is an area that I do believe warrants further study and I believe the two species are more closely related than as once believed or established...

(Above; an interesting variant exhibiting almost no red coloration, despite growing in full sun, along with normal colored variants)

(Above; P. planifolia growing alongside possible P. ionantha x P. planifolia hybrid. Note the rounded leaf tips and slight splash of color, typically not present in P. ionantha.)

(Above; another "pink blush" possible hybrid, despite growing in full sun with normal colored plants.)

I do plan to return to this area in late Fall to early Winter when they are in full flower to study this possibility more extensively. Actually, an FCPS Fieldtrip to this locale would be an incredible experience, not to mention the abundance of other CP species. I will keep everyone posted on a date...

Happy Growing!
Brian C. Barnes, 2008.