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This critically endangered pitcher plant is one of the most charismatic and intriguing species of the genus. The morphology is shared by one other species, Nepenthes klossii, from New Guinea.
Of interest in these photos is that the plants with the very bright light background were perched on the edge of a cliff with a 1km drop immediately behind the plants. Likely the most dangerous place I have ever photographed.
Even with the recent discovery of several giant Nepenthes species in recent years, seeing this plant in its native habitat will likely be the highlight of observing tropical pitcher plants in the wild.
The all green or 'maxima' variant appears to be the predominant form of this species in the FMNF. The entire populations of several occurrences within the forest were composed of this form.
I'm not sure if this flower is Sarracenia purpurea or S. rosea. I think both species were present in the area I was shooting. The other plants and grasses were pretty tall. In the background you can see part of a pitcher, as well as a type of sundew called the Gulf Sundew or Dew Threads. Those are the light-colored stems. I'll be posting more of those, especially the pretty pink flowers.
This site, one of the more northern sites for Cephalotus, is characterized by an almost complete sand substrate in contrast to the peat bogs observed farther south.
These plants represent a huge success story for habitat conservation in the state of Florida. At one time the Tate's Hell Swamp was heading for ecological disaster very similar to what "the grid" of the Green Swamp in North Carolina is facing today.
Unsustainable industrial forestry practices were attempting to drain the swamp and grow trees that could not otherwise survive in the swamp habitat. In the past decade, the state of Florida has purchased the majority of this land and started restoration practices by removing the garbage trees and restring historic hydrology.
I have visited this particular site first back in 2001 at which time there were some truly spectacular hybrids and large populations of S leucophylla. Over the next decade, prior to restoration practices, the diverity at this site was nearly lost due to altered hydrology and the replanting of slash pine.
The site is now restored as a grassland prairie and these images represent the slow recovery of what will likely become a spectacular site in time.
These plants represent a huge success story for habitat conservation in the state of Florida. At one time the Tate's Hell Swamp was heading for ecological disaster very similar to what "the grid" of the Green Swamp in North Carolina is facing today.
Unsustainable industrial forestry practices were attempting to drain the swamp and grow trees that could not otherwise survive in the swamp habitat. In the past decade, the state of Florida has purchased the majority of this land and started restoration practices by removing the garbage trees and restring historic hydrology.
I have visited this particular site first back in 2001 at which time there were some truly spectacular hybrids and large populations of S leucophylla. Over the next decade, prior to restoration practices, the diverity at this site was nearly lost due to altered hydrology and the replanting of slash pine.
The site is now restored as a grassland prairie and these images represent the slow recovery of what will likely become a spectacular site in time.
An insectivorous plant species. These catch insects in order to supplement the poor mineral nutrition they obtain from the soil. The leaves snap shut when the small hairs (on the red part of the leaf seen here) are triggered. When an insect or spider crawling along the leaves contacts a hair, the trap closes if a different hair is contacted within twenty seconds of the first strike. The requirement of redundant triggering in this mechanism serves as a safeguard against a waste of energy in trapping objects with no nutritional value.(Wikipedia)
Green Swamp, Bladen County, North Carolina, USA.
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The Australian Pitcher Plant was first observed by European science in 1801 and to this day remains one of many enigmatic plants of Australia. Cephalotus has no direct relation to any of the other four known genera of pitcher plants of the world. Cephalotus follicularis is one of 100+ species of carnivorous or insectivorous plants which inhabit southwestern Australia - home of the greatest concentration of carnivorous plants in the world. It is likely that there are nearly as many species of Drosera (sundews) in soutwestern Australia as there are all species of carnivorous plants worldwide.
Plants in this series are from one of five sites visited for Cephalotus on a trip with Redfern Natural History Expeditions in October 2018. On the trip, we photographed nearly 100 species of carnivorous plants and many additional orchids during 2 weeks of travel in a relatively small area of southwest Australia.
The king of all pitcher plants, Nepenthes rajah is possibly the most legendary of the Nepenthes. First described by Joseph Hooker in 1859 and then illustrated by Spencer St John in 1862 from the Marai Parai plateau adjacent to Mt Kinabalu.
Despite the ornate peristomes, colorations, and unique morphology of other species there is no comparison to observing this species in the wild among the old world tropical pitcher plants.
Pitcher plants (Sarracenia purpurea) in a wetland at the headwaters of Doe Run, a mountain stream in Loyalsock State Forest, Lycoming County.
Pitcher plants (Sarracenia purpurea) in a wetland at the headwaters of Doe Run, a mountain stream in Loyalsock State Forest, Lycoming County.
These plants represent a huge success story for habitat conservation in the state of Florida. At one time the Tate's Hell Swamp was heading for ecological disaster very similar to what "the grid" of the Green Swamp in North Carolina is facing today.
Unsustainable industrial forestry practices were attempting to drain the swamp and grow trees that could not otherwise survive in the swamp habitat. In the past decade, the state of Florida has purchased the majority of this land and started restoration practices by removing the garbage trees and restring historic hydrology.
I have visited this particular site first back in 2001 at which time there were some truly spectacular hybrids and large populations of S leucophylla. Over the next decade, prior to restoration practices, the diverity at this site was nearly lost due to altered hydrology and the replanting of slash pine.
The site is now restored as a grassland prairie and these images represent the slow recovery of what will likely become a spectacular site in time.
These rare "bog islands" overlaying granite along streams, cascades, and waterfalls are home to some of the rarest plant assemblages in North America. This is one of the most rare habitats in the eastern United States.
Many thanks to Jim Fowler for taking time to help me fulfill the dream to see these wonderful places.
These rare "bog islands" overlaying granite along streams, cascades, and waterfalls are home to some of the rarest plant assemblages in North America. This is one of the most rare habitats in the eastern United States.
Many thanks to Jim Fowler for taking time to help me fulfill the dream to see these wonderful places.
Nepenthes truncata is a tropical pitcher plant native to the Philippines.
#Nepenthestruncata #Nepenthes #truncata #carnivorousplant #insectivorousplant #pitcherplant #CUgreenhouse
One of the most fascinating Sarracenia sites I have ever seen: a true hybrid swarm. Virtually every manifestation of this hybrid imaginable was observed.
The Australian Pitcher Plant was first observed by European science in 1801 and to this day remains one of many enigmatic plants of Australia. Cephalotus has no direct relation to any of the other four known genera of pitcher plants of the world. Cephalotus follicularis is one of 100+ species of carnivorous or insectivorous plants which inhabit southwestern Australia - home of the greatest concentration of carnivorous plants in the world. It is likely that there are nearly as many species of Drosera (sundews) in soutwestern Australia as there are all species of carnivorous plants worldwide.
Plants in this series are from one of five sites visited for Cephalotus on a trip with Redfern Natural History Expeditions in October 2018. On the trip, we photographed nearly 100 species of carnivorous plants and many additional orchids during 2 weeks of travel in a relatively small area of southwest Australia.
One of the best examples of classic habitat and growth habits I have observed for this species. Pinguicula primuliflora is a riparian species. Though it may be found growing away from streams, this is usually secondary to hydrology or habitat alteration and the remaining plants are able to briefly sustain in moist regions without moving water.
In typical habitat, as illustrated in several of these photos, plants will grow on the surface of fallen logs as long as sufficient moisture is present. At this private property site are: Pinguicula primuliflora, Drosera capillaris, Drosera intermedia, Sarracenia rubra (Ancestral/Sandhill variant), Sarracenia psittacina, Utricularia juncea, Utricularia purpurea, Utricularia gibba, and Utricularia subulata.
Sarracenia purpurea in a wetland at the headwaters of Frame Cabin Run, a mountain stream within Gouldsboro State Park, Monroe County.
I've licensed this photo as Creative Commons 0 (CC0) for release into the public domain. You're welcome to download the photo and use it without attribution.
The carnivorous plants depicted in these photos represent a newly discovered site for these species in Georgia. the Sarracenia psittacina of these bogs are among the largest I have ever seen. It is apparent that S psittacina in highly aquatice habitats allow for giant plant development as seen in Okeefenokee swamp and on Eglin AFB.
This variant has now been published as Sarracenia psittacina var. okeefenokeensis based on morphometric characters that appear to be genetically derived. Based on my field observationsof these plants in three distinct habitats throughout the southeast, i agree with this assessment. see McPherson & Schnell, Sarraceniaceae of North America, Redfern 2012.
The Sarracenia rubra and psittacina presented here are part of one of the most unique ecosystems in Georgia - the Fall Line Sandhills. The S rubra plants are believed to be a separate variant based on unique morphometric characters and are believed by some to be the 'ancestral' variant bridging between the S rubra var rubra of the Atlantic coast to the S rubra gulfensis and S rubra var wherryi on the Gulf of Mexico coast.
Unfortunately these variants currently are only names based on morphometric differences. We are still awaiting published genetics data that may add information to better understanding of the relationships between variants of this complex.
This is one of the rarest of the South American pitcher plants. Currently classified as a variant of H. minor, on casual observation appears to comprise less than 5% of populations of H minor in habitat.
The bogs depicted in these photos are examples of well managed southeastern coastal plain habitats that have nearly disappeared in Georgia. This private property holds the best managed and largest bogs in the state.
Sustainability of these habitats requires 1) marked reduction of tree density; 2) Routine but not excessive application of fire, particularly non-growing season so that plants are not repeatedly weakened; and 3) eliminate alteration of hydrology by not puncturing hardpan commonly a result of deep bedding or furrowing by inappropriate forestry practices.
The three enemies of a healthy bog are excessive trees which draw out tremendous water daily; excessive shade; and diversion of water. Secondarily, increased nutrient flow into the bog from adjacent agricultural influences can increase grass growth resulting in reduction of species diversity. Excessive use of fire is also a problem for bogs in that this selects for more grass and burning recharges nutrients into the bog repeatedly. Winter burns are ecologically preferred as nutrients charged into the bog may leach out during the non-growing winter months resulting in much more nutrient depletion for the growing season. The majority of orchids, carnivorous plants, and other rare herbaceous plants are adapted to and prefer these nutrient poor conditions.
These photos represent a population of yellow-flowered Sarracenia psittacina with normal ly colored pitchers. these plants are not Anthocyanin-free. This is one of several very small populations of this variant that I have observed in several states within the plant's range.
There has been much speculation about flower color variance in the Sarraceniaceae (when it occurs) as to whether this variation represents mutation or the influence of historic hybridization. I tend to believe that distant hybridization is the likely source for flower color variation in these populations.
The plants depicted here are extremely rare naturally occuring hybrids with evidence of multigenerational hybridization. A likely hybridization of [Sarracenia psittacina x Sarracenia rubra] x Sarracenia rubra.
The carnivorous plants depicted in these photos represent a newly discovered site for these species in Georgia. the Sarracenia psittacina of these bogs are among the largest I have ever seen. It is apparent that S psittacina in highly aquatice habitats allow for giant plant development as seen in Okeefenokee swamp and on Eglin AFB.