Sarracenia oreophila
| Green pitcher plant | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Sarraceniaceae |
| Genus: | Sarracenia |
| Species: | S. oreophila
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| Binomial name | |
| Sarracenia oreophila (Kearney) Wherry (1933)
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| Sarracenia oreophila range | |
| Synonyms | |
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Sarracenia oreophila, also known as the green pitcherplant,[3] is a carnivorous plant in the genus Sarracenia. It has highly modified leaves in the form of pitchers that act as pitfall traps for prey. The narrow pitcher leaves are tapered tubes that rise up to 75 centimetres (30 in) from the ground, with a mouth 6 to 10 centimetres (2.4 to 3.9 in) in circumference [4] Like all the Sarracenia, it is native to North America. Sarracenia oreophila is the most endangered of all Sarracenia species, its range limited to a handful of sites in northern Alabama, North Carolina, Georgia, and—historically—Tennessee.[5]
Origin of name
Saracenia oreophila takes its name from the mountainous regions where it grows. The generic name Sarracenia is from Michel Sarrazin [1659–1734], a French-Canadian naturalist who first described a specimen of the genus, and oreophila literally means "mountain-loving," from Greek oreophilos (oros, -eos, "mountain," + philos, "loving").
Morphology and carnivory
Like other members of the genus Sarracenia, the green pitcher plant traps insects using a tubular rolled leaf which collects digestive juices at the bottom. The pitcher tube of this species is similar to that of Sarracenia flava, but has a wider pitcher mouth and neck and is usually somewhat shorter, reaching only 60 cm. (24 in). The uppermost part of the leaf is flared into a lid (the operculum), which prevents excess rain from entering the pitcher and diluting the digestive secretions within. The upper regions of the pitcher are covered in short, stiff, downwards-pointing hairs, which serve to guide insects alighting on the upper portions of the leaf towards the opening of the pitcher tube. The opening of the pitcher tube is retroflexed into a 'nectar roll' or peristome, whose surface is studded with nectar-secreting glands. Prey entering the tube find that their footing is made extremely uncertain by the smooth, waxy secretions found on the surfaces of the upper portion of the tube. Insects losing their footing on this surface plummet to the bottom of the tube, where a combination of digestive fluid, wetting agents and inward-pointing hairs prevent their escape. Some large insects (such as wasps) have been reported to escape from the pitchers on occasion by chewing their way out through the wall of the tube.[6]
Pitchers can vary from all green plants to lightly and heavily veined examples, as well as cultivars with heavily pigmented throats. Traps also take on a pink or red flush as they age.[6]
Flowers
- See also the section on Sarracenia flowers in the main article.
In
Growth cycle
In late summer and autumn, the plant stops producing carnivorous leaves, and instead produces flat, non-carnivorous phyllodia. In this species, these are highly recurved, short, and sickle-shaped. The natural habitat of this species dries quickly during July and the small phyllodia are probably easier to maintain with the little water available than its spring pitchers. This is a genetic adaptation and plants kept permanently wet in cultivation also lose their pitchers in mid summer. Also of note is the simultaneous flowering and pitchering at the beginning of the season as drier conditions prevent later growth of pitchers post flower production.
Taxonomy
The International Carnivorous Plant Society recognizes three cultivars of this species as follows:
- S. oreophila 'Don Schnell'
- S. oreophila 'Heavily Veined'
- S. oreophila 'Sand Mountain'
The cultivar 'Don Schnell', unfortunately, is
Threats
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The green pitcher plant has suffered a devastating decline throughout its former range. Development for both urban and rural uses has led to the widespread alteration of the specific bog habitat of this species. Pitcher plants have also been over-collected for the commercial plant trade; such rare and unusual species are very popular with collectors. Today, around 34 naturally occurring populations persist but these are small and highly fragmented; most consist of fewer than 50 individuals.[1][7]
Conservation
Green pitcherplants are listed as Endangered on the United States
References
- ^ . Retrieved 25 April 2023.
- ^ a b "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
- ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Sarracenia oreophila". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
- ^ a b U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (March, 2003) http://www.fws.gov/cookeville/docs/endspec/pitchsa.html Archived 11 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). www.georgiawildlife.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 April 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ a b c Flora of North America, Sarracenia oreophila Wherry, 1933. Green pitcher plant
- ^ 5.U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, International Affairs (March, 2003) http://www.fws.gov/international/
- ^ "Green pitcher-plant (Sarracenia oreophila)". Environmental Conservation Online System. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
- ^ 44 FR 54922
- ^ a b U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, International Affairs (March, 2003) http://www.fws.gov/international/
This article incorporates text from the
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