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| A flowering white-topped pitcher plant (Sarracenia leucophylla). If you could actually look closely at the inside of the pitcher, you would notice downward pointing hairs, called spicules, that allow insects to go down the pitcher but make it very hard for them to climb or fly up. |
Florida is a great place to be a naturalist. There is such a wide variety of habitats resulting in a wide variety of species that can be found. If you have read this blog before, you know that I work with fish but, I am also a a hobby-botanist. During this time of year, I can't help but notice all the flowers that are blooming and plants that are leafing out. While on a short walk the other day, I noticed this white-topped pitcher plant so I snapped a few photos. These plants used to very common in my my neighborhood but there aren't that many these days. Fire suppression, habitat destruction, nutrient and herbicide runoff, and over-harvesting are all threats to pitcher plants. If you want to learn more, check out this
link. Florida has some other carnivorous plants, including other species of pitcher plants and some species that aren't pitcher plants. I have a few photos of them too. Maybe I'll write some posts about them.
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| A close up of the flower against the cloudy sky. |
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| A close up of the flower and the top of the pitcher plant. The white top of the pitcher inspired both the common and Latin names for the plant. Leucophylla means white leaf and the pitcher is in fact just a modified leaf. |
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| If you were a small animal crawling around under the pitcher plants and you looked up, you would see something like this. |
Hi Chris. Where did you find this pitcher plant. I'm a member of the Sarracenia Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society, so we are particularly interested in this genus.
ReplyDeleteBill Petty
ps. I,too play banjo. Are you gonna tell your readers that the mushroom is Boletus pinophilus?
The pitcher plant was found in Navarre, FL in a large development. If you search for "Hemlock Dr. Navarre, FL" on google maps you can easily pick out the location. It was growing in a roadside ditch just south of the Pepperwood Dr. Intersection. With the being said, these plants are becoming mores scarce in the neighborhood. I can remember being a kid in the neighborhood and seeing, pitcher plants, sundews, eastern diamond backs, water moccasins, and much more. The snakes were the first to go. Now you are lucky to see any, and if you do they tend to be racers or garter snakes which are quite at home in suburban yards. Many of the plants are gone too now because of lots being cleared. However, even the bogs that have not been cleared don't look so well. New drainage infrastructure has drained some and filled others with nutrient rich water. I don't think the plants are good competitors, so once the nutrients arrive other species take over. Do you know if excess nutrients cause the plants to stop producing "pitchers?" There shouldn't be much of a need to capture insects if their are enough nutrients in the soil. I only ask because some of the bogs still have pitcher plants but very few "pitchers." Of course, these are just observations, not facts, but it seems like something is going on.
ReplyDeleteI am finding more and more people that play banjo everyday. A lot tend to be outdoor-oriented people. It must have to do with what the image and sound of the banjo conjures up. I used to play at old time jams around Tallahassee. I also attended a few Native Plant Society Meetings as an FSU Undergrad (both were much better than the alternative that most students do...standing in long lines after class to drink cheap beer at a noisy bar). If you have done either in the Tallahassee are, there is a chance we may have met before.
To answer your final question, Yes, I will write that it was B. pinophilus. I have irregular work hours write now so sometimes it takes a few days before I get posts up, but I hope to have it up soon! Also, it was delicious and there are many more around. Could you shed any light on the cutting versus pulling when harvesting mushrooms debate?