CARNIVOROUS PLANT

NEWSLETTER
VOLUME 26, NUMBER 4 December 1997
 CARNIVOROUS
PLANT
NEWSLETTER
Official Journal of the
International Carnivorous
Plant Society

Volume 26, Number 4

December 1997
Front Cover: Utricularia macrocheilos. Photo by Martin Zevenbergen.
Rear Cover: Pinguicula caerulea. A painting by Scott Bennett.
Carnivorous Plant Newsletter is dedicated to spreading knowledge and news related to car¬
nivorous plants. Reader contributions are essential for this mission to be successful. Do not hes¬
itate to contact the editors with information about your plants, conservation projects, field trips,
or noteworthy events. All material for publication must be sent to one of the editors. Contributors
should review the "Instructions to Authors" printed in the March issue of each year.
Views expressed in this publication are those of the authors, not the editorial staff.
All correspondence regarding dues, address changes and missing issues should be sent to
the 1CPS c/o the Secretary/Treasurer. Do not send such correspondence to the editors. Checks for
subscriptions and reprints should be made payable to the ICPS.

President Rick Walker, MS 26U4, PO. Box 10350, Palo Alto, CA 94303-0867, USA
Phone: (415) 856-2354 ([email protected])
Vice President Jay Lechtman, 11767 Great Owl Circle, Reston, VA 20194-1170, USA
Phone (day): (703) 707-5825 ([email protected])
Secretary/Treasurer Ken Cusson, 339 E. Romie Lane, Salinas, CA 93901-3129, USA
Phone: (408) 783-1103 ([email protected])
Coeditors:
Joe A. Mazrimas: 329 Helen Way, Livermore, CA 94550, USA ([email protected])
Barry A. Meyers-Rice: PO. Box 72741, Davis, CA 95617, USA ([email protected])
Jan Schlauer: Zwischenstr. 11, D-60594 Frankfurt, Germany ([email protected])
Page Layout:
Steve Baker: 5029 West Piedmont Circle, Conover, NC 28613, USA ([email protected])

Seed Bank: Tom Johnson, PO. Box 12281, Glendale, CA 91224-0981 ([email protected])
Business Manager: Leo C. Song, Jr., Department of Biological Sciences, California State
University, PO. Box 6850, Fullerton CA 92834-6850, Phone: (714) 278-2766
([email protected], http://nsm.fullerton.edu/biogh/greenhouse.html)

Date of effective publication of the September 1997 issue of Carnivorous Plant Newsletter 26 September 1997

PUBLISHER: The International Carnivorous Plant Society by the Fullerton Arboretum, California
State University, Fullerton, CA 92834-6850. Published quarterly with one volume annually. Desktop
Publishing: Steve Baker, 5029 West Piedmont Circle, Conover, NC 28613. Printer: Kandid Litho, 1077
East Enda Place, Covina, CA91724. Masthead Art: Paul Milauskas, 38 Manchester Court, Fox River
Grove, IL 60021. Dues: $15.00 annually. $20.00 foreign. Reprints available by volume only © 1997
Carnivorous Plant Newsletter. All rights reserved. ISSN #0190-9215. Circulation 866 yearly.

110 Carnivorous Plant Newsletter

 Editorial
Jan Schlauer

Dear fellow carnivorous plant enthusiasts,

An international community like the ICPS requires international actions and
events. The year 1997 witnessed the birth of a most remarkable and promising ini¬
tiative—to change ICPS members from mere recipients of Carnivorous Plant
Newsletter into active participants of a convention, the first Conference of the
International Carnivorous Plant Society hosted by the Atlanta Botanical Garden,
USA. The attendees to this conference were so enthusiastic about its success that
they decided ad hoc to repeat this meeting as soon as possible. After some thought
and negotiation, Europe was chosen to host the next ICPS conference. Thus, it is a
particular pleasure for me to invite you, dear members, to participate in:
The Second Conference of the International Carnivorous Plant Society
May 30 - June 1, 1998
Botanic Garden Bonn, Germany
This forthcoming event will be organized in cooperation with the German car¬
nivorous plant society (GFP), and the Botanic Garden of the University of Bonn.
The program will include: the Fourth International Carnivorous Plant Exhibition
in continuation of a tradition originally established in Gent, Belgium, with an
awarding of the best plants in the show; twenty lectures by internationally
renowned carnivorous plant experts; and poster presentations by those who want to
share their experiences with other participants. But the most important goal of the
conference will of course be the opportunity to meet many other people interested
in the various aspects of carnivorous plants from around the globe. Instructions will
be provided on how to visit the finest carnivorous plant habitats and collections in
Germany and Europe.
All interested in participating in the conference should complete the registra¬
tion form appended to this issue of Carnivorous Plant Newsletter and send it to:
Frank Gallep
Zweibriickenstr. 31
40625 Diisseldorf
Germany
I hope to see you in Bonn soon!
Another, less pleasant issue is that the March and June issues of Carnivorous
Plant Newsletter arrived unacceptably late (if at all!) to some of our members. This
happened because of a most unlikely and therefore the more regrettable series of
organisational and technical failures—including a change of officers after the
renewals had been received, and a computer hard-drive crash which led to a tem¬
porary inability to access our membership database! Our new Secretary/Treasurer,
Ken Cusson has performed an enormous task during the past months in order to
reconstruct the membership database, and we hope that the status quo is regained
now. These lines are written at about the time when the September 1997 issue of
Carnivorous Plant Newsletter is about to be sent to its readers, and we believe the
missing issues were sent to our patient readers. All those responsible for a smooth
production and distribution of Carnivorous Plant Newsletter apologize for any
inconvenience that may have occurred during the first half of 1997, and we hope
that it has been made good in the meanwhile. Appropriate measures have been
taken to prevent a similar irregularity in the future. Thank you very much for your
patience.

Volume 26 December 1997 111

 In Search of Utricularia pobeguinh: a Field
Trip in Guinea, Western Africa

Martin J. Zevenbergen
Commandeursweg 130
6721 ZP Bennekom
The Netherlands
[email protected]

Keywords: travelogue: Drosera, Guinea, Utricularia.

In December 1992,1 traveled to Guinea (capital: Conakry), in West Africa. Before my

trip I prepared myself a little bit because I was curious which carnivorous species I could
expect. Only a few Drosera species grow in this country, so this was not very spectacular.
Nevertheless, according to Taylor’s monograph, sixteen Utricularia species grow in
Guinea, a substantial part of them being restricted to West Africa. My attention was espe¬
cially attracted by the species U. pobeguinii, which is found only in a very small region
within Guinea. Further carnivores are some species of the genus Genlisea, which I unfor¬
tunately did not find.
During my stay, I visited only two sites with carnivorous plants; nevertheless ten of
the sixteen Utricularia species occurring in Guinea were found. The first spot was at the
side of the main road from the capital to Kindia, between Tabili and Mambia, in the moun¬
tains at an altitude of approximately 500 m above sea level. I saw this spot from the car
on an earlier trip to Kindia. During that trip, it drew my attention because of the yellow
flowers and the water that was seeping over rocks. Later (30 December) I returned, and
succeeded in convincing the bush-taxi driver that I really wanted to get out at this par¬
ticular spot (at first he did not want to stop because there was no village). The yellow flow¬
ers I saw from the car turned out to be a Utricularia, and after some nosing about, I found
eight carnivorous plant species.
U. macrocheilos: This was the plant that I saw already from the taxi. It is a plant with
tall scapes 10—30 cm high, with large bright yellow flowers (see front cover). This was the
most abundant species on the site. It was growing in a wet sandy soil layer on top of a rock

Figure 1: U. spiralis. Note the spiraling peduncles. D. indica can be seen

in the corner and in the background.

112 Carnivorous Plant Newsletter

 Figure 2: U. firmula (yellow flowers) and D. indica (pink flowers).
subsoil.
U. scandens: At first I thought this was the same as the former species, but the scapes
are much smaller, 4—10 cm, and the spur in this species is tubular and narrow, while it
is wide and conical in U. macrocheilos. The flowers are bright yellow. Here it was growing
between U. macrocheilos and tall grass.
U. spiralis: This was also one of the more striking species, with large violet flowers,
with a notable bright blue spot on the swollen part of the lower lip (Figure 1). The scapes
were always twining, up to 30 cm tall. This species has a preference for the wettest spots,
growing amphibiously in a muddy substrate, in which I was sinking up to my ankles.
U. firmula: Also a very abundant species with tiny scapes 3—10 cm tall, the flowers
are yellow with a red spur (Figures 2, 3). It seems to have a preference for the spots with
a lot of iron, at least the surface was rust-coloured. It was growing together, or at least in
the vicinity of U. pobeguinii.
U. pobeguinii'. This was the species I searched for especially, and I was very happy to
find it (Figure 3). Some time ago, Peter Taylor lumped this species together with U. spi¬
ralis, but later separated them again in his monograph. I think this was a wise decision,

Figure 3: U. pobeguinii (blue flowers), U. firmula (yellow flowers), and

D. indica (pink flowers).

Volume 26 December 1997 113

because for me it was obvious that this is a distinct species. According to Taylor’s mono¬
graph, the characteristic feature of U. pobeguinii is the obtuse spur, but other differences
are: U. pobeguinii prefers a dryer habitat, is not twining, it has less tall scapes of 3—7 cm,
and the flowers are blue with a white patch at the base of the lower lip.
U. pubescens: Although this species is widespread in the region, I found only a few
plants with very tiny scapes (4 cm). This species was easily distinguished by its peltate
leaves. The flower was a very pale purple.
U. subulata: Many of my comments regarding U. pubescens apply to this species, only
a few plants were found of this so-called carnivorous plant weed. The scapes were up to
10 cm and bore up to ten pale yellow flowers.
Drosera indica: This species preferred the same spots as U. pobeguinii and U. formu¬
la, it had pink flowers and was quite abundant (Figures 2, 3).
The second spot, which I visited on 3 January, is near the city of Kindia. It is north¬
west of the city, near Mount Gangan, and at the same altitude as the city (approximately
300 m). It is only a fifteen minute walk to the north from the hotel “Phare de Guinee” at
the western part of town. From the above described species I found U. macrocheilos, U.
spiralis, U. subulata, U. firmula and D. indica. In addition to these, I found also three
other species.
U. micropetala: This is closely related to U. macrocheilos, but it appears to me that
this species deserves a specific rank. The swollen spur of this species is relatively huge,
the spur makes out 80% of the length of the flower. I found only small specimens, the
scapes being up to 7 cm.
U. tetraloba: This species is a rheophyte growing in very shallow streaming but calm
water. This was the most tiny species I found, the scapes being only 1—2 cm. Relatively
the traps were quite big: 1 mm. The habitat was typically on a bare horizontal rock sur¬
face, at the margin of a layer of soil and vegetation on these rocks.
U. rigida: Also a rheophyte, this is closely related to U. tetraloba, but prefers anoth¬
er habitat: almost vertical rock surface with swiftly running water. At the time I visited
the site it was not flowering anymore, but a lot of scapes with capsules were found. This,
and the very typical habitat, was enough to identify this plant.
I took some plant material back home, but I did not succeed in growing any of the
species. Although I succeeded in germinating the seed of U. tetraloba and U. rigida, I did
not succeed in keeping them alive. I tried a setup with a little water pump and some rocks,
but when algae became a problem I tried a mild algicide. First the seedlings reacted very
well, and even were growing faster, but later on they died back. In the future I may well
be traveling again to this country, so I might try again to bring some of these species into
culture.
References:
Hutchinson, J. and Dalziel, J. M. 1954, Flora of West Tropical Africa: Vol. 1, Part 1, London
(second edition, revised by Keay, R. W. J.).
Pellegrin, F. 1914, Contribution a letude de la flore de l’Afrique occidentale fran^aise:
Lentibulariees, Bull. Soc. bot. Fr., 61: 13-21.
Taylor, P. 1989, The Genus Utricula/ia, Kew Bull. Additional ser. 14, HMSO, London.
Taylor, P. 1991, The genus Genlisea, Camiv. PL Newslett., 20: 20-26.

From the pages of Carnivorous Plant Newsletter

25 YEARS AGO

Many of us have seen abnormal plants displaying ‘Talse vivipaiy,” where mutated flowers
produce plantlets instead of normal parts. This is not too uncommon in Drosera or Dionaea.
But T. L. Mellichamp reported a real rarity: “I have observed this same phenomenon in the
inflorescence of Sarracenia pwpurea in northern Michigan along the sandy, marly beaches just
west of Mackinaw City at the Straits. The inflorescence (?) was no taller than the rather com¬
pact, neat pitchers and it consisted of a rather disfigured rosette of pitcher leaves, instead of
floral parts sitting upon the peduncle....there were many normal plants around.”

114 Carnivorous Plant Newsletter

 Growing Drosera chrysolepis

Arthur Ter-Hovanessian Ivan Snyder

1744 East Sycamore Avenue #6 110 Meyer Court
El Segundo, CA 90245 Hermosa Beach, CA 90254

Keywords: cultivation: Drosera chrysolepis.

The South American sundew Drosera chrysolepis is an attractive and unique plant. It
forms a long upright stem with spear-shaped leaves, and can grow quite large. Comparing this
species to one which is more commonly grown, Fernando Rivadavia describes it as, ‘looks like
a giant D. scorpioides.” This sundew has proven to be rather difficult to grow, and so is recom¬
mended for the experienced cultivator or sundew connoisseur. For this reason D. chrysolepis
may continue to be extremely rare in cultivation.
The particular specimen illustrated (Figure 1) was grown from seed which was original¬
ly collected from nature in Serra do Cipo, Brazil, by our fellow carnivorous plant fanatic, the
famous Fernando Rivadavia. A plant of the size in the photograph, about 13 cm (5 inches) will
take well over a year to grow, thus making the plant all the more precious to its growers.
Seed is the most reliable way to propagate D. chrysolepis in quantity, since it does not
sprout from leaf or root cuttings. Seed may be scattered atop a peat and sand mixture suitable
for cultivating sundews. Germination will take place after several weeks, so it is best to sup¬
ply very little light until sprouting occurs to prevent an overgrowth of algae and mosses. Newly
germinated seedlings are fairly large compared to seedlings of most other sundews. Growth
beyond the seedling stage will be very slow, so keep in mind that producing a fine-looking
mature plant will require a considerable amount of patience. The newborn seedlings will feed
upon minute springtails which are naturally occurring in the pots. This gives the capturing
plantlets an extra boost. When the seedlings reach a centimeter or more in diameter they are
then transplanted into a potting mixture of chopped live Sphagnum and perlite, in which they
seem to grow best. The reason seed is not sown directly on live Sphagnum is that the
Sphagnum will grow more quickly and smother the seedlings. Since growth is slow for this
species, recovery from transplanting requires a period of convalescence. Following transplant¬
ing or any root disturbance, a
clear plastic cup or other suit¬
able tenting is placed over the
plant to insure high humidity
and prevent drying out.
When active growth recom¬
mences, the tenting may be
removed. Cultured fruit flies
(Drosophila melanogaster)
are an excellent food source
for larger plants, and of
course there is an added
bonus in the thrill of watch¬
ing the plants consume these
little pests.
D. chrysolepis does not
have a definite dormancy
period, though growth seems
to come and go in irregular
cycles when grown under
artificial lights with an
Figure 1: A 13 cm tall Drosera chrysolepis in cultivation
unchanging long day pho¬
(photograph by A. T. H.)
toperiod. You will find that the

Volume 26 December 1997 115

plant is a very shy flowerer when grown under artificial conditions. So if you are thinking of
trying to get your plant to produce seed, you must experiment. We wish you luck, since we have
yet to see it flower.
There is still another method of reproduction, albeit slow, which you can use to reproduce
your plant. As your D. chrysolepis grows to an extreme height, you may wish to reduce it again,
as there is a maximum optimal height. This may be done by simply cutting the stem and
replanting the top. New roots are produced near to the meristem or growth point, so cut the
stem about five cm below, strip off most of the lower leaves and plant vertically so that the
growth tip is just above ground. Now tent it as described earlier. Plant the lower portion of the
stem, retaining a few leaves, as this may sprout a new growth point and form another plant.
D. chrysolepis replanted in this manner makes the plant’s growth immortal.

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116 Carnivorous Plant Newsletter

 ICPS Seedbank
Tom Johnson, Coordinator
PO BOX 12281
La Crescenta, CA 91224-0981
Updated November 4, 1997

All Correspondence Must Be Accompanied

by a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope
Byblis giganiea S. oreophila x flava
Darlingtonia califomica S. oreophila x (flava x leucophylla)
D. califomica Florence OR S. (oreophila x purpurea purpurea) x self
D. califomica North-central California S. (oreophila x rubra) x self
Mix #1, Mix #2, Mix #3 (see article in this issue) S. purpurea x alata Ltd
Dionaea muscipula Drosera aliciae
Ibicella lutea (5 seeds per packet) D. binata complex Dichotoma small
Nepenthes alata Luzon Red Spotted D. binata North Plains, NZ
N. gracilis D. brevifolia white flower Hampstead, NC
Pinguicula grandiflora D. brevifolia
P. lusiianica D. burmannii
Utricularia bisquamata D. burmannii TSeerwah, Qld’
U. inflata D. capensis
U. subulata large flower D. capensis “green”
Sarracenia flava D. capensis “red narrow leaf’
S. flava green with yellow/gold tops D. capensis “wide leaf’
S. flava Ben Hill Cty Georgia D. capensis “wide leaf’ large form
S. flava New Bern, NC D. capensis “narrow leaf’
S. leucophylla D. capensis “white flower” or alba
S. leucophylla gm w/ white & red tops D. capensis “purple flower”
S. minor Fitzgerald, Georgia D. capillaris
S. oreophila green—inquire D. filiformis filiformis
S. purpurea purpurea NC Mountains D. filiformis tracyi Fitzgerald, GA
S. purpurea purpurea heterophylla D marchantii marchantii
S. purpurea venosa D. rotundifolia Mendocino City, CA
S. rubra rubra D rotundifolia Washington state
S. alata x leucophylla D spatulata
S. alata x purpurea purpurea pubescens D. spatulata Hairy Sepals, Gympy Qld
S. flava x leucophylla D. spatulata pink flower
S. flava x leucophylla“Mi\tori' D. spatulata Kanto
S. flava “Ok.ee Giant” x purpurea venosa D. spatulata v. Kansai from Japan
S. flava x rubra gm with goldtops D. spatulata Mt. Bartlefreare, Qld
S. (leucophylla x oreophila) x purpurea purpurea D. species Magaliesburg
S. leucophylla x oreophila x self D. dielsiana x Sp. TVansvaal

All seed contributions are gratefully accepted. Please forward to the

above PO Box. Please protect the seeds from postal abuse. I use bubble
wrap, although it does require an additional eleven cents in postage
(within US). Note: Ltd. means the seeds are in very limited supply.

Please mail comments to: [email protected]

Volume 26 December 1997 117

 Reflections and Suggestions from 1996

Donald L. Graham
21206 S.E. 268th Place
Kent, WA 98042

Keywords: cultivation: bog-garden, Washington (USA),

August 1996 was an important benchmark in my ongoing experiment. Three years have
passed since my creation of an outdoor carnivorous plant bog and pond. It has withstood the
worst weather that this state has to throw at us. All of the plants are doing well, especially the
Darlingtonia (no surprise here). The bog is peppered with a variety of Pinguicula, Drosera,
Sarracenia, as well as venus flytraps. A recent discovery this September was a 15 cm high
Drosophyllum hidden in the swamp grass: what a paradox! I have tried to grow them by the
book and they died. I threw the old seed in the wet, rained-on bog and they grew! I guess the

Figure 1: My 112 cm (44 inch) tall Sarracenia flava.

plant does not know what is best for it! The pond is loaded with Utricuiaria inflata and U.
rnacrorhiza. These thriving colonies were collected from some local lakes. A good reference book
on these localities can be found in Hawkeye Rondeaus publication “Carnivorous Plants of the
West,” to which I contributed.
The layout of my growing area may look simple; however a lot of thought, planning and
effort went into this project. An open framework above the bog supports bird netting and timer-
controlled misters. The water table is self-regulating. Strategically placed support bearings
allow me to quickly install scaffolding. This temporary floor allows me to do my maintenance
such as grooming, weeding, bug spraying and collecting seed for the ICPS seed bank. Multiple

118 Carnivorous Plant Newsletter

 Figure 2: N. lowii on a solar powered turntable,
security systems surround my bog and greenhouses. (See the article written by my friend
David Wong, Camiv. PI. Newslett. 25: 10). The greenhouse that contains the majority of
Nepenthes is on the east side of my home.
Winter in Seattle, Washington means a lot of dark skies. Tb augment the shorter pho¬
toperiod, I have installed full spectrum fluorescent lighting. The big difference is the tubes are
free hanging and vertical, which in my opinion is more efficient and cost effective. This method
distributes the light equally to the upper and lower plants, which encourages lateral growth.
With the return of spring I remove the lights. It is easy to use standard 20 or 40 watt fixtures
and attach extension wire to each receptacle. Add new receptacles to the wire ends and you are
ready. Do not install lamps whose wattage requirements exceed the rated value of the ballast
being used.
Hobbyists who wish to grow as many of their carnivorous plants as possible outdoors and
unprotected will have problems with wind and rain laying low the taller plants. My solution is
to support them using inexpensive, readily available tomato cages. You can cut the cages to dif¬
ferent heights to meet your requirements. The system provides 360° support. (Figure 1).
Warning! File or grind off the cut ends as they are often razor sharp and could inflict nasty
wounds.
Horticulturists tell us uniform lighting promotes uniform growth, which means turning
our potted plants periodically. A good solution was found when I discovered a solar powered
turntable by “Sunmate” at a local nature shop, list price $16.1 bought the last one in that shop
for $5. I would have bought ten of them at that price if available. The table is capable of sup¬
porting 30 pounds. The rotation speed varies with lighting conditions, one revolution takes two
to three minutes. My highly prized N lowii I acquired from Andreas Wistuba in 1994 gets
exclusive use of this device (Figure 2). One of the most eye catching plants displayed at our
Pacific Northwest meeting held in June was my gorgeous 80 cm tall red tubed <S. /Zara.
Occasionally, one receives a rare unexpected surprise in growing carnivorous plants. The sur¬
prise this year came from a S. rubra. It has a functional two headed pitcher on a single stalk
(Figure 3, pl20). Shortly after photographing this specimen, I removed the oddity and dried it
in a high vacuum. It is now on display in my hobby room under a bell jar.

Volume 26 December 1997 119

 Figure 3: A double-pitchered S. rubra oddity.

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120 Carnivorous Plant Newsletter
 Literature Reviews

Ratsirarson, J., and J.A. Silander, Jr. 1996, Structure and dynamics in Nepenthes
madagascariensis pitcher plant micro-communities. Biotropica 28:2, pp. 218-227.

N. madagascariensis produces two types of pitchers—small, goblet-shaped lower

pitchers and large, trumpet-shaped upper pitchers. The waters in these pitchers func¬
tion as temporary habitats for a variety of mosquito larvae, mites, and fly larvae, and
several arthropod and lizard species that prey upon them. The authors studied the two
pitcher types and their arthropod denizens. Not surprisingly, the arthropods found in
the upper pitchers are not quite the same as those found in the lower pitchers.
Although this paper does not reveal any astounding new discoveries, it offers a view
into the natural history and food web relationships that exist within Nepenthes pitch¬
ers.
Much of the paper’s analysis focuses on two species of mosquito larvae. The first
is exclusively a filter feeder while the second augments its diet with prey (including
members of the first species). The filter feeder prefers the upper pitchers while the
predator species lives exclusively in the lower pitchers. Several other creatures are
described, including a crab spider which descends on a thread into traps to forage
underwater for prey, ants that drain pitchers by drilling holes into them so they may
safely steal their contents, and mites that ride on flies to be transported to new pitch¬
ers. Various correlations between populations and pitcher characteristics are explored,
but the results of the hard science are not particularly conclusive. (BAMR)

Ruiz, S.Z., & A.T. Salinas. 1996, Una nueva especie de Pinguicula (Lentibulariaceae)
del estado de Oaxaca, Mexico. Acta Botanica Mexicana 37, pp. 39-44.

The authors describe Pinguicula mirandae from the Tehuacan-Cuicatlan region in

the state of Oaxaca, Mexico as a new species. It belongs to the section Heterophyllum
in subgenus Isoloba and is most closely related to P. acuminata but the leaves of the
“summer” rosette are not acute but completely rounded at the apex, thus very superfi¬
cially resembling those of P. macrophylla or P. colimensis. The flowers, with a long
sharply bent corolla tube and a short spur, do however readily identify it as a member
of Isoloba (to which e.g. P agnata and P. acuminata belong) and not Orcheosanthus (to
which P. macrophylla and P. colimensis belong).
The new and rather spectacular (if one appreciates the details) species is distin¬
guished from P. rotundiflora by the glandular pubescent (not glabrous) pedicels, the
geniculate (not straight) corolla tube and the clavate (without berry-like heads) hairs
on the palate. Surprisingly (and rather inexcusably), the latter comparison is missing
in the article although the two species are almost indistinguishable if not in flower. (JS)

Chen, L., James, S.H., & H.M. Stace. 1997, Self-incompatibility, Seed Abortion and
Clonality in the Breeding Systems of Several Western Australian Drosera Species
(Droseraceae), Australian Journal of Botany 45, pp.191-201.

The authors have cultivated twenty species of Western Australian Drosera under
greenhouse conditions, pollinated the flowers artificially (with pollen of the same indi¬
vidual or of a different individual), and checked self-compatibility by assessing seed set
and pollen tube growth. All fifteen investigated taxa of subgenus Ergaleium (“tuber¬
ous” sundews) were self-incompatible. In subgenus Bryastrum (erroneously called
“Rorella” in the paper, “pygmy” sundews with gemmae), D. nitidula and D. pulchella
were self-compatible, while D. eneabba and D. mannii (misspelled “manniana” in the
paper) were self-incompatible. Drosera glanduligera (which the authors transferred to
section Lasiocephala— JVpe: D. petiolaris— without explanation) was self-compatible.
Self-incompatibility was due to inhibition of self-pollen tubes at various sites in the
pistil. Seed abortion was studied in the self-compatible taxa (and found to be negligi¬
ble) D. mannii and five taxa of subgenus Ergaleium. The proportions of good seeds vs.
aborted seeds in the self-incompatible taxa ranged between 95:5 and 36:64. The high¬
est abortion rates were found in D. tubaestylis.
Volume 26 December 1997 121
 Several new chromosome counts are published on pp. 192-193 (under the author¬
ship of James, Chen, Lowne & Marchant). The counts of n=16 for D. gigantea and
n=15 for D. menziesii deviate from those published earlier (14 and 13, respectively) by
Kondo. This may indicate that these (assumedly rather young and not genetically “con¬
solidated”) species form aneuploid series.
Apart from some taxonomic oversights (v.s.), the paper is well researched, and it
offers many new and interesting data, rendering this an obligatory reading for all stu¬
dents with a serious interest in this genus. (JS)

Conran, J.G., Jaudzems, V.G., & N.D. Hallam. 1997, Droseraceae Germination
Patterns and their Taxonomic Significance, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society
123, pp. 211-223.

In this paper, the germination types (cryptocotylar—with the cotyledons not

emerging from the seed coat, hemicryptocotylar—as the intermediate condition, or
phanerocotylar—with the cotyledons leaving the seed coat entirely) and some mor¬
phological and phenological features of 113 accessions (corresponding to approximate¬
ly one hundred taxa) of Droseraceae are featured. The results may be summarized as
follows (the classification proposed by Schlauer in Camiv. PI. Newslett. 25:67-88, 1996
is used here for comparison).
Phanerocotylar or hemicryptocotylar germination is found in Drosophyllum,
Dionaea, Drosera subgenera Phycopsis (as a section of subgenus Drosera in the paper),
Drosera (sections Ptycnostigma—as a separate subgenus in the paper—Arachnopus—
including section Prolifera in the paper—and Drosera sensu lato), Thelocalyx (as a sec¬
tion of subgenus Drosera in the paper), Stelogyne (as a section of the illegitimate sub¬
genus “Rorella” in the paper), and Arcturia (as section Psychophila of the illegitimate
subgenus “Rorella” in the paper). Drosera neocaledonica (with phanerocotylar germi¬
nation) is retained in what is called Drosera subgenus Drosera section Lasiocephala in
the paper, although all other species in this section have a cryptocotylar germination
pattern. Cryptocotylar germination characterizes Aldrovanda, Drosera subgenera
Lasiocephala (as a section of subgenus Drosera in the paper), Ergaleium, Bryastrum
(called “Rorella” in the paper, with the exceptions noted above), and Coelophylla (as a
section of the illegitimate subgenus “Rorella” in the paper).
Glandular cotyledons are found in Drosera subgenera Drosera (section sensu lato
including D. neocaledonica but excluding “section” Lasiocephala sensu stricto, section
Ptycnostigma, together with taxa with eglandular cotyledons), and Thelocalyx.
Non-camivorous primary leaves are found in Aldrovanda and some taxa of
Drosera subgenus Ergaleium section Ergaleium.
The discussion of the paper is proposing reconsiderations within a conservative
systematic alignment that is questionable in some respects. Therefore (and because
the recent reclassification cited above has been ignored entirely in the present paper),
a new discussion of the results is presented here.
At generic level (Aldrovanda - cryptocotylar, Dionaea - phanerocotylar, Drosera -
various conditions, Drosophyllum is not a member of Droseraceae, as proved by genet-
ical, morphological and palynological data, cf. Schlauer in Camiv. PL Newslett. 26:34-
38, 1997) the germination pattern is too inconsistent for phylogenetic considerations.
The fact that it is constant within all sections of Drosera (if these are defined as in
Schlauer 1996, not as in the present paper) shows that it has a high value as a taxo¬
nomic marker at infrageneric level. It clearly excludes Lasiocephala (without D. neo¬
caledonica!) from subgenus Drosera and brings the subgenera Phycopsis, Thelocalyx,
Stelogyne, Arcturia, and Regiae (most of which considered fairly “primitive”) into some
proximity with subgenus Drosera. The imperative transfers of D. neocaledonica and
Ptycnostigma to subgenus Drosera have already been proposed earlier. Cryptocotylar
germination is confined to the predominantly (and probably originally) Australian sub¬
genera Ergaleium (“tuberous” sundews), Bryastrum (“pygmy” sundews), Lasiocephala
(D. petiolaris group), and Coelophylla (D. glanduligera). So this feature may represent
an advanced condition developed (perhaps several times independently) in these
Australian taxa.

122 Carnivorous Plant Newsletter

 As a consequence, subgenera Coelophylla (with a more “primitive” pollen type,
indicating a position between the apparently ancestral subgenus Thelocalyx and the
possibly more derived subgenus Lasiocephala) and Lasiocephala should be removed
from their position at the ‘"base” of subgenus Drosera (in contrast to their respective
positions assigned in Schlauer 1996:69) and rather shifted towards the proximity of
subgenus Bryastrum. This is also supported by formerly overlooked/underestimated
similarities in leaf morphology: The laminae (not the stipules as stated on p. 218 of the
present paper) of the recently described D. caduca (Lasiocephala) that may be missing
(shed?) are homologous to the likewise detached gemmae produced by all members of
subgenus Bryastrum.
Although it shares phanerocotylar germination with other (“primitive”) groups,
subgenus Phycopsis (D. binata) should retain its position between subgenera Drosera
(phanerocotylar) and Ergaleium (cryptocotylar).
While the data are new and very important, the numerous nomenclatural inade¬
quacies (many invalid names are used) and taxonomic mistakes (some of which have
been known for a long time and were already corrected in the literature) are detri¬
mental to a work of such ambition. Thus, many avoidable shortcomings are perpetu¬
ated once again. Nevertheless, this paper is an indispensable source of information for
future research in the systematics of Droseraceae. (JS)

Komiya, S., Shibata, C., Toyama, M., & K. Katsumata. 1997, Carnivorous Plants in
Hokkaido, northern Japan, Bulletin of the Nippon Dental University, General
Education, 26, pp. 153-188 (in Japanese, description of Utricularia x bentensis on pp.
164-166 by S. Komiya in Latin)

This is a comprehensive review of the carnivorous plant species found on the

northernmost Japanese main island. It deals with the species Drosera anglica,
Pinguicula macroceras, Utricularia australis, U. caerulea, U. intermedia, U.
macrorhiza, U. minor, U. ochroleuca, and U. uliginosa. The hybrid D. x obovata is dis¬
cussed, but without obvious reason there is no reference to D. rotundifolia (one parent
species of this hybrid) Previously, Diels (Pflanzenreich 26:95, 1906) cites a specimen
from Sapporo (collected by Faurie). The most interesting taxon of this review is what
is assumed to be a hybrid between Utricularia minor and U. intermedia and described
as a new hybrid, U. x bentensis. It has features which superficially really look like
intermediate between the two supposed parents but a closer examination of the inter¬
nal quadrifid trap glands shows almost no influence of U. intermedia (in which the two
arms of each pair are almost strictly parallel to each other). Instead, the shorter pair
is bent in the direction of the longer pair, a condition very similar to that found in U.
minor and exactly the same as found in U. bremii, which was so far only known from
Europe. The flowers and leaves of U. x bentensis are so similar to those of U. bremii
that there remains almost no doubt that it is really the same taxon. Possibly U. bremii
is in fact of hybridogenic origin as no ripe seeds are known of this species (the pollen is
apparently always malformed and sterile). Whether hybrid or not, the older name U.
bremii should be applied to the plants from Hokkaido. This is a substantial range
extension for this species. No mention is made of U. stygia (which is known from
Europe and North America), so it can unfortunately not be judged if this species is real¬
ly absent from Hokkaido or if it was only ignored as was done by Taylor (The Genus
Utricularia: 612-613, 1989). (JS)

Schnell, D.E. & R.O. Determann. 1997, Sarracenia purpurea L. ssp. venosa (Raf.)
Wherry var. montana Schnell & Determann (Sarraceniaceae): Anew Variety, Castanea
62:1, pp. 60-62

This new variety from sphagnous seep bogs of the southern Appalachians has the
distal hood lobes of the pitchers incurved adaxially so that they almost touch, and the
hairs lining the hood are shorter than in the two other varieties of Sarracenia purpurea
subsp. venosa. As we know from the previous publications of the first author, careful
long-term observations both in the field and in cultivation have led to the discovery of
a new taxon in a species that some would consider well investigated and completely
Volume 26 December 1997 123
known. (JS)

Shibata, C. 1997, Ecological and Taxonomical Studies on Carnivorous Plants in

Venezuela, 1994-1996. Bulletin of the Nippon Dental University, General Education,
26, pp. 199-217 (text in Japanese, description of new taxa in Latin by S. Komiya and
C. Shibata, List of specimens collected in English)

On pages 209 and 210, Utricularia chiakiana and U humboldtii f. albiflora are
described as new. U. chiakiana is very similar to U. gibba, and the single difference
seems to be the upper lip of the corolla which is smaller than the lower (larger than
lower in U. gibba). However, the dubious statement “Valde affinis Utricularia gibba L.”
(very close to U. gibba) without subsequent diagnosis, leaves space for speculation if
the authors really accept their new taxon (cf. Art. 34.1. ICBN). (JS)

Silva, T.R. dos S. 1997, Drosera graomogolensis (Droseraceae), a New Species from the
Campos Rupestres of Minas Gerais, Brazil, Novon 7, pp. 85-87.

A new species of Drosera is described. It was featured by Fernando Rivadavia

under the invalid name of “D. villosa var. graomogolensis” in Carrnv. PL Newslett. 25:
134-137 (1996). According to the author it is related to D. villosa. However, the obovoid
(not fusiform as in D. villosal) seeds and the stem densely covered with dead leaf
remains readily separate this new' species from any other known from eastern Brazil.
This is an interesting parallel to the stem-forming D. roraimae and D. hirticalyx from
the Guayana Highland. The latter species do have distinct petioles while the species
described here has a leaf shape somewhat similar to D. villosa without a clear distinc¬
tion between petiole and lamina. (JS)

Bayer, R.J., Hufford, L. & D.E. Soltis. 1996, Phylogenetic relationships in

Sarraceniaceae based on rbcL and ITS sequences, Systematic Botany 21:2, pp 121-134.

Another molecular approach to understanding carnivorous plant evolution is pre¬

sented here. The findings confirm the molecular phytogeny published earlier (Albert et
al., Science 257:1491-1495, 1992), i.e., Darlingtonia is proposed as a sister to a clade
containing Sarracenia and Heliamphora. This contrasts with the common perception
that Sarracenia and Darlingtonia are more closely related to each other than either is
to Heliamphora. The South American origin (or in other words, a Heliamphora-like
progenitor) of Sarraceniaceae is doubted rather overhastily although no morphological
characters unambiguously support the generic relationships assumed here. Further
studies will have to aim at the identification of “primitive” plesiomorphous character-
states in order to elucidate the evolutionary course of the family. Infrageneric specula¬
tions are also presented in this paper but grouping Heliamphora nutans as a sister to
a clade comprising H. minor and H. tatei, or the inclusion of Sarracenia leucophylla
and S. purpurea in one group and S. flava, S. minor and S. psittacina in another are
so far away from any classification proposed previously that one cannot but wonder if
the molecular data studied here are suitable tools at this taxonomic level. (JS)

Takeda, A. & S. Watanabe. 1997, Structure and Regeneration of a Plant Community

of a New' Variety of Pinguicula vulgaris (Lentibulariaceae) in Mie Prefecture, Journal
of Japanese Botany, 72, pp. 229-237.

The growth conditions of a supposedly rare taxon considered a new variety of

Pinguicula vulgaris by the authors are investigated. The results suggested that the
communities of this plant are sustainable but the removal of adult stocks by natural
or human disturbance will accelerate their degeneration. The new variety differs from
P. vulgaris proper by its larger more numerous flowers with longer spurs and the very
large leaves. These are, however, almost all the features distinguishing P. macroceras
(which substitutes P. vulgaris in the circumboreal-pacific region, including Japan) from
P. vulgaris. So the new taxon should rather have been described as a variety or sub¬
species of P macroceras. Within the limits of this latter taxon, it approaches several so-
124 Carnivorous Plant Newsletter
called lowland populations in Japan, and to a somewhat lesser degree, the northwest-
American P. macroceras subsp. nortensis. Thus, a more thorough taxonomical investi¬
gation is clearly indicated and, as far as is heard from Tokyo, forthcoming. (JS)
Tan, H.T.W. 1997, A Guide to the Carnivorous Plants of Singapore, Singapore Science
Centre, Singapore, 177 pp. ISBN 981-00-8629-6.

Throughout the chapters entitled “Native Species and Hybrids,” “Exotic Species,”
“Tropical Pitcher Plant Ecology,” and “Conservation and the Law,” this booklet is fur¬
nished with numerous nice pictures and predominantly well researched text. The
Republic of Singapore does not house any endemic plant species, so it is no surprise
that the Singaporean carnivorous plants are those species that are rather widespread
and well known. The species discussed are Utricularia caerulea (common), U. bifida
(common), U. aurea (vulnerable), U. gibba (vulnerable), U. uliginosa (extinct), U.
minutissima (vulnerable, new record), U. punctata (extinct), Nepenthes ampullaria
(rare, including the rare, abnormal upper pitchers), N. rafflesiana (rare), and N. gra¬
cilis (common). The hybrids N. ampullaria x gracilis, N. ampullaria x rafflesiana, and
N. gracilis x rafflesiana augment the list. The genus Drosera is apparently absent from
Singapore although the widespread D. burmannii, D. indica, D. spatulata, or D. pelta-
ta would include Singapore within the general limits of their respective geographic and
ecological ranges. Perhaps development in this highly populated region has destroyed
suitable before botanists could discover any sundews habitats (even the weedy
Utricularia gibba is vulnerable here!). Forty-six pages are devoted to various aspects
of pitcher plant ecology. A rather weak point is the unfounded assertion that the pro¬
teolytic activity found in Nepenthes pitchers is not due to proteases produced by the
plant (although such enzymes have been already characterized to a considerable
degree by other authors). This serves in the first line to propagate a new theory that
superoxide radicals secreted into the pitchers (by a not yet known mechanism) should
be the principal protein digesting agents. Differences between the species tested may
exist but suitable experiments to elucidate the enzymic processes involved are clearly
required. The literature reference list is not entirely complete (e.g., the publication by
Ratsirarson & Silander, 1996, cited on pp. 125, 128, 131, and 137 is missing). (JS)

Webb, C.J. & W.R. Sykes. 1997, The Reinstatement of Utricularia protrusa for New
Zealand and an Assessment of the Status of the other New Zealand Bladderworts
Based on Seed Characters, New Zealand Journal of Botany, 35, pp. 139-143.

In this paper, the authors describe the seeds of the species of Utricularia found in
New Zealand. For the first time the seeds of U. protrusa have been investigated. These
were found to differ profoundly (rounded rather than angled and winged, testa cell
margins undulate rather than straight or curved) from the seeds of specimens of U.
australis from Australia. Based on this difference (the only species having similar
seeds being the North American U. geminiscapa), the specific distinctness between U.
australis (with which U. protrusa has been united by Taylor, Kew Bull. Add.
Ser. 14:599, 1989) and U. protrusa is re-established. U. protrusa is thought to be
endemic to New Zealand. It is not mentioned in the paper that the European speci¬
mens of U. australis very rarely set seed at all, nor have these specimens been com¬
pared with the east Asian, Australian, and New Zealandic ones. No difference between
the seeds of U. lateriflora and U. delicatula has been found, but the distinction defined
by Taylor (l.c.: 184) is left unchallenged. The similarity between the seeds of specimens
assigned to U. nouae-zelandiae and U. monanthos is used to corroborate the results of
a recent ecological and morphological study (M.S.Reut, New Zealand Botanical Society
Newsletter 40:10-11) that the two should be treated as a single species to which the
older name U. novae-zelandiae is to be applied. This may eventually resolve the prob¬
lem that Taylor (l.c.: 119) left “to subsequent investigations in Australia and New
Zealand to produce a better solution”. (JS)

Volume 26 December 1997 125

 News & Views

Barry Meyers-Rice (P.O. Box 72741, Davis CA 95617) writes: According to the criteria of
criminal law in the USA, carnivorous plants are guilty of Premeditated Murder. Now the
botanical world has a case of Involuntary Manslaughter, or more accurately, Insect-
slaughter. The noncamivorous Indonesian orchid Dendrobium stratiotes is being pri¬
vately grown on Oahu, Hawai’i. After pollinating honeybees crawl into the flowers, they
discover they are too large to escape. Trapped inside the flowers, the bees slowly die. The
introduction of non-native species is one of the leading causes of species extinction, so it
is deliciously ironic that two non-native species are fighting between themselves. Now to
teach those USA mainland Nepenthes to eat starlings!

O. Clyde Bramblett (Orgel’s Orchids, 18950 S. W. 136th St., Miami FL 33196) writes: The
weather (during the winter of 1997—eds.) has been too warm—it is like summer. The
temperatures have been in the 80s every day for weeks. We had some unseasonably cool
weather at first, but it warmed up and stayed warm. The Sarracenia are starting to put
out new growth and flowers. Hey Guys! It’s not spring yet! It has been very dry also, no
rain for six or seven weeks. I can see some real problems coming up soon.

We had our annual Fairchild Ramble. Everything went off very well and the ICPS exhib¬
it was well received. The workers this year, besides myself, were Bruce Bednar, Manny
Herrera, and Trent Meeks (see the photo by Trent). The weather was great and the
crowds were like a flowing river. It is unbelievable to always discover that there is some¬
one who has never ever seen a Venus’s Fly Trap before.

Photo Caption: From left to right, Trent, Manny, Clyde, and Bruce.

Andrew Marshall (131 SW 185th Street, Normandy Park, WA 98166) sent a list of the
crosses he successfully made during the last few years. For the spring of 1994, female
listed first: 1) N. splendiana x N. deslogesii, 2) [N. thorelii xiV.x wittei) x N. kampotiana,
3) (N. thorelii xiV.x wittei) x N. x mixta. For the spring of 1995, female listed first: 4) N.
spathulata x N. sanguinea, 5) N. spathulata x N. veitchii, 6) N. spathulata x N. kampo¬
tiana, 7) N. spathulata x N. maxima. For the winter of 1996, female listed first: 8) N.
thorelii x N. tobaica, 9) N. thorelii x N. maxima, 10) N. spathulata x N. maxima, 11) N.
spathulata x N. maxima. The N. maxima used in crosses 7, 9, and 10 was obtained from
California State University at Fullerton, while the N. maxima used in cross 11 was from

126 Carnivorous Plant Newsletter

Jeff Shafer. The N. spathulata was obtained from the University of California at
Berkeley. Horticulturists informally refer to the N. sanguined clone as ‘red,’ the N.
vietchii clone as lowland,’ and the N. tobaica clone as 'purple.’

Barry Meyers-Rice (P.O. Box 72741, Davis CA 95617) writes: The Redbud Chapter of the
California Native Plant Society is trying to raise another $8000 to buy a property in the
mountains of California. This 10 acre site contains Darlingtonia califomica, Drosera
rotundifolia, and many other wetland plants. The present owners are donating signifi¬
cant financial help, and The Nature Conservancy has supplied a matching funds grant.
More information on this important site (which contains the world’s only population of
anthocyanin-free Darlingtonia) is in this issue (pages 129-132). If you wish to make a
donation to this cause, call Carolyn Chainey-Davis at 916-273-1581. Tax-deductable gifts
can be made in your name or in the name of the ICPS.

Obituaries

Clarence Baumgartl (William Baumgartl’s father), age 80, died on April 16, 1997 of lung
cancer. Clarence was the husband of Marie Baumgartl, owner of Marie’s Orchids and
Exotic Plants. Marie’s Orchids will now be relocated to Oakland, California. The new
phone number is 510-633-0300. (Submitted by William Baumgartl.)

Mr. Phil Wight died from a heart attack in May 1997. Phil was well known in the San
Francisco area as a collector of orchids and carnivorous plants. He is survived by his wife
CeCe. His collections were donated to local botanical gardens. (Submitted by William
Baumgartl.)

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128 Carnivorous Plant Newsletter

 An Anthocyanxn-Free Variant of
Darlingtonia californica:
Newly Discovered and Already Imperilled
Barry Meyers-Rice
P.0. Box 72741
Davis, CA 95617 USA

Keywords: field studies: California (USA), Darlingtonia, pigmentation.

Received: 1 October 1997
The discovery
The family Sarraceniaceae contains three genera: Sarracenia, Heliamphora, and
Darlingtonia. The genus Sarracenia has an unsettled taxonomy, but all authorities agree
it contains at least eight species. A number of subspecies, varieties, and forms have also
been described. Heliamphora has a naturally fragmented range and has responded to this
by evolving into several taxa. In contrast, even though Darlingtonia grows in scattered
montane wetlands throughout southwestern Oregon and northern California, the genus
has but a single species, and no significant color variants have ever been discovered.
Until now.
In the spnng of 1997 I surveyed a Darlingtonia seep in the mountains of north-cen¬
tral California. I had first visited the site in the autumn of 1992 after I had learned of it
from Hawkeye Rondeau, a naturalist and intrepid seeker of carnivorous plants. This site
is particularly interesting because it is at the extreme southeast edge of the range of
Darlingtonia. The plants grow in a sloped clearing which is densely hidden on all sides by
alders. This clearing measures approximately 20 m x 45 m, and is habitat for a number
of other wetland herbaceous genera including Carex, Drosera, Mimulus, Juncus,
Orobanche, Platanthera, Solidago, and Veratrum. Prominent wetland woody plants
include Alnus incana subsp. tenuifolia, Leucothoe dauisiae, Pinus contorta subsp. mur-
rayana, Rhamnus alnifolia, and Vaccinium uliginosum subsp. occidentale. Sphagnum
does not occur at this location.
Since it was early in the season the plants were in flower. Darlingtonia inflorescences
are similar in plan to those of Sarracenia. Each erect peduncle bears a single pendulous
flower that has five large yellow drooping sepals. The five translucent red petals are so
closely pressed to each other that together they form a protective chamber around the
anthers and gynoecium (see Schnell, 1976, figures 4.2 & 4.3). This chamber may only be
entered near the petal tips, apparently ensuring that visiting insects will deposit pollen
upon the stigma immediately upon arrival. As my ramblings took me to a much smaller
(11 m x 13 m) adjoining clearing of plants, I was greatly thrilled to find anthocyanin-free
Darlingtonia specimens. In this article I describe some of my observations of what I will
refer to as these “variant plants,” as well as how you may obtain seed of this variety. The
precarious conservation status of these variant plants is also discussed.
Anthocyanin is a pigment found in many plants and is the source of red and pink col¬
oration in plants in the Sarracenia family. Recent work by Sheridan (1997) indicates that
a single mutation can block the production of this pigment in Sarracenia. A number of
Sarracenia mutants have been reported which lack anthocyanin (this is reviewed in
Sheridan’s work). On occasion Sarracenia plants have been found which have abnormal
flower colors but which are not completely anthocyanin-free plants. At first I thought the
variant Darlingtonia plants were such floral mutants, but inspections of their growth
crowns revealed a complete absence of red pigmentation in the leaf shoot apexes and
developing pitchers. (A subsequent literature search revealed that the plants had previ¬
ously been noted by a field researcher who thought the plants were merely yellow-flow¬
ered; Elder, 1994.) The variant nature of these plants is clearly genetic and not environ¬
mental because of the following reasons.
1) Most of the variant plants were growing in full sun so the absence of anthocyanin
is not a response to inadequate light levels. Three variant plants that did grow in

Volume 26 December 1997 129

 shade exhibited the same pigmentation characteristics as their sunlit companions.
2) No intermediate color forms were noted. This is parallels the behavior of the antho-
cyanin mutation in the genus Sarracenia.
3) Variant plants grew interspersed with normal plants, so local factors such as chem¬
icals leaching through the soil could be eliminated. Furthermore, the complete sup¬
pression of anthocyanin pigments by environmental effects is unknown in
Sarraceniaceae.
As the flowering season progressed I carefully surveyed the site using binoculars (I
avoided tromping through the seep because it is so delicate). The variant plants occurred
in nine separate loose associations, six of which were in the smaller clearing. A total of 105
variant flowers were observed. In comparison, by measuring the flower number density at
various locations (typical values were 11—18 flowers nr2) and extrapolating over the area
of the two clearings, I estimate that approximately 16,000 normal red flowers were pro¬
duced this year. Even at this site—its only known occurrence—the variant form repre¬
sents less than 1% of all the plants present. No doubt a few flowers eluded me, but I prob¬
ably detected all the major associations of flowering specimens. Surveys of nearby
Darlingtoma sites revealed no other variant plants. Since Darlingtonia plants do not have
much red coloration in their pitchers, late-season variant plants do not look much differ¬
ent from normal specimens and any future surveys for variant plants must be conducted
during the flowering season.
Obtaining seed for distribution
Immediately after I discovered the variant plants I contacted the owners of the prop¬
erty and obtained permission to pollinate the plants and collect seed. I selected eleven
variant flowers long before they matured and bagged them with 1 mm mesh fabric. The
stigmatic surfaces of unbagged plants were usually slightly darker-colored a few weeks
after their flowers matured. This discoloration appeared on the bagged plants only after I
manually pollinated them. From this I conclude that I successfully excluded pollinators
and also that pollinators are present even at this site at the extreme edge of the plant’s
range. It is still unclear what pollinates Darlingtonia, but my measures almost certainly
frustrated the efforts of any pollinating agents. Incidentally, nearly every unbagged
Darlingtonia flower in the clearings contained at least one spider (as has been previously
reported, i.e. Elder, 1994)—it must be challenging to be a Darlingtonia pollinator!
I desired seed of pure anthocyanin-ffee strains for distribution among scientists and
horticulturists so I self-pollinated eight of the bagged flowers. Tb ensure successful pollen
transfer each flower was selfed both 28 May and 1 June. Unfortunately only four of these
eight bagged flowers survived to produce seed—shortly after pollination the other flowers
died from trauma associated with being handled. Years of experience in Sarracenia prop¬
agation have shown me that the progeny of such sellings are often not as vigorous as that
from cross-pollinated plants. So I pollinated three bagged plants using pollen from two
other anthocyanin-ffee plants (that is, pollen from both pollen donors were applied to each
of the three bagged plants). Darlingtonia can reproduce vegetatively, both by rhizome divi¬
sion and by stolons. To minimize the chance that the pollen donors were clonally related
to the bagged plants, the pollen donors selected were 8 and 11 m from the pollinated
plants. Due to handling, only one of these flowers survived to produce seed—Darlingtonia
peduncles are very brittle, especially when the scientist pollinating them is beset by vora¬
cious mosquitoes and gathering lightning storms.
Seed was harvested in September and is available through the ICPS seedbank (see
the seedbank listing in this issue). This seed is not regulated by C.I.T.E.S., so it may be
bought by any member of the ICPS. Tb simplify the seed distribution and to increase the
chances that the most vigorous seeds are widely distributed, the seed from the pollination
trials were mixed together. As a result three different mixes of seed are available.
Mix #1: The results of five manually pollinated variant flowers were combined. Four
of the flowers were self pollinated, one was crossed with other variant flowers. These
are very likely to be anthocyanin-ffee plants.
Mix #2: Five unbagged variant flowers were allowed to be pollinated by whatever nat¬
ural mechanisms are at work in the seeps. If they are selfed then the progeny will be
anthocyanin-ffee. If they were crossed they are very likely to be hybrids with normal

130 Carnivorous Plant Newsletter

 flowers. In this case they will probably appear to be normal red-flowered plants.
Mix #3: Seed from nine wild pollinated flowers were collected at the end of the sea¬
son. The plants are from a unique and wonderful location but will probably produce
normal red flowers. Experimenters may wish to use these seeds as controls in stud¬
ies of the plants from this site.
Seed quantities from this season are limited, but samples from all three mixes are
being sent courtesy of the ICPS to other seedbanks around the world. As I write this, coop¬
erative agreements have been arranged with the following organizations (more are being
developed): Australian Carnivorous Plant Society (PO. Box 391, St. Agnes, South
Australia 5097), and Gesellschaft fur fleischfressende Pflanzen (Frank Gallep,
Zweibriickenstr. 31, D-40625 Diisseldorf, Germany). This list of societies is not meant to
endorse or snub anyone—it merely represents an eclectic list of societies with which I am
familiar. Investigate the seedbanks of your local organizations for possible additional list¬
ings.
If you obtain seed, bear in mind you are part of a scientific experiment. I do not know
if the plants will breed true. It would be valuable for any growers to report their results
to Carnivorous Plant Newsletter.
Conservation concerns and considerations
Field collecting being condoned by the International Carnivorous Plant Society? This
is scandalous!
No, not in this case. First, all access to the site was fully allowed by the owners.
Second, only seeds were collected, with the exception of a single plant which was used for
an herbarium specimen. Third, this situation represents the first find of this plant and is
a valid attempt at introducing the plant into cultivation. Fourth, of the 105 variant flow¬
ers at the site, only sixteen were manipulated, so the effects from interfering with just one
season’s flowers are probably insignificant (recall that Darlingtonia is a perennial species).
The welfare of the plants is certainly being considered. Indeed, everyone who knows
the site has agreed to remain quiet about its location. These measures are justified
because plants and fruit of anthocyanin-free Sarracenia rubra subsp. jonesu have been
repeatedly poached from that plant’s only known location, in spite of its being a preserve
protected and studied by The Nature Conservancy.
The immediate future for this site is precarious. Although it was stewarded well by
its owners for many years, when I contacted them they told me they had sold it and the
new owners intended to log the property. While the timber value of the seep is minimal,
the timber value of the surrounding forest is high. I met with the new owners and their
forester. Through nonconfrontational discussions, I was able to educate the owners as to
the biological value of the seep. An interesting development occurred several weeks later
when the California Department of Forestry (CDF) was reviewing the timber harvest plan
for the site. News of this logging operation reached the internet; the resulting deluge of
faxes and mail to the CDF was a huge surprise. The CDF consulted with a number of
experts (including representatives from the ICPS) and ultimately the property owners vol¬
unteered not to log within 100 feet of the seep, so the chances of disturbing the water flow
or accidentally felling a tree into the seep were diminished
At the time of this writing, the site is once again for sale. The Redbud Chapter of the
California Native Plant Society (CNPS) is attempting to cobble together enough money to
purchase the site. Bound by National Forest on three sides, including the uphill side, this
site is excellently situated to be a well-protected preserve. The present owners have
agreed to make significant donations to expedite the process, and The Nature
Conservancy has contributed a large matching funds grant. Only $8000 remains to be
raised in order to make this 10 acre preserve a reality. That might not seem like much,
but for these plants it is the difference between protection and another episode of logging.
If you wish to donate to this important project, call Carolyn Chainey-Davis (CNPS, 916-
273-1581) by April 1998.
While the International Carnivorous Plant Society played a significant role in pro¬
tecting this site through educating the land owners and advising the CDF, it must take a
back seat to the phase of purchasing the site for protection. When we become a non-profit
organization it might be possible for us to be more active in this kind of project.

Volume 26 December 1997 131

 Figure 1: Anthocyanin-free and normal Darlingtonia flowers.
Directions for future study
If this site survives the next few years of logging and transitions, it will be an inter¬
esting laboratory for the genetic study of anthocyanin-free plants. If Sheridan’s work is
correct and the production of anthocyanin in Sarracenia may be modulated by a single
mutation, it is plausible that the trait in Darlingtonia is similarly recessive. Indeed, no
intermediate flowers were observed (i.e. flowers with pink or only partly red flowers) so
this seems likely. It would be interesting to investigate the progeny of green x red crosses
(using Sheridan’s red/green nomenclature). The results from red x red or red settings
would also be interesting. It might be that many apparently normal red plants are het¬
erozygous and such pollination’s work would result in 25% green seedlings and 75% red
seedlings.
By climbing 18 m up into a nearby conifer and photographing the seeps, I produced
crude overhead maps. These suggest the anthocyanin-free plants occur preferentially (hut
not exclusively) at the edges of the seep. The reality of these measurements must be inves¬
tigated using careful statistical models.
Finally, as information regarding this interesting form accumulates it may be appro¬
priate to botanically describe the variant at the forma level. If so, it will most certainly not
be “Darlingtonia califomica f. heterophylla," so I do not want to see that invalid name
thrown around by growers!

Acknowledgements:
Special thanks are due to the various owners of this special habitat and their foresters for
their foresight and generosity, to The Nature Conservancy (California Regional Office) for
useful information regarding the history of the seep, to Carolyn Chainey-Davis of the
California Native Plant Society for her untiring efforts, and to Mandy Tu for her botani¬
cal expertise and boundless enthusiasm.

References:
Elder, C. L. 1994, Reproductive Biology of the California Pitcher Plant (Darlingtonia
califomica), Fremontia, 22:4, p29-—30.
Schnell, D. E. 1976, Carnivorous Plant of the United States and Canada, John F. Blair
(publisher), Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Sheridan, P. 1997, Genetics of Sarracenia Leaf and Flower Color, Camiv. PI. Newslett.,
26: 51—64.

132 Carnivorous Plant Newsletter

 The 1997 Conference of the International
Carnivorous Plant Society
This year the Atlanta Botanical Garden was kind enough to host the spectacularly
successful Conference of the ICPS. Approximately 130 members attended the three day
event (May 16—18) to listen to talks, watch videos, exchange plants, and learn from
each other’s experiences. Trips to carnivorous plant habitats filled two more days.
We wanted to produce a pamphlet-sized publication describing the meeting, but fis¬
cal realities intervened. (One of the anticipated benefits of the ICPS becoming a non¬
profit organization is that we should be able to afford a separate publication for the 1998
conference.) To let you know what you missed, or remind you of what you saw, we are
reprinting a schedule of the event. We hope this encourages you to attend the 1998 con¬
ference in Germany.
Day One
♦Welcoming Comments, Ron Determann (Atlanta Botanical Garden) & Rick Walker
(ICPS).
♦The Carnivorous Plant Conservation Program at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Ron
Determann (Atlanta Botanical Garden).
♦Conservation Projects Involving the Three Federally Endangered Sarracenia Species:
S. oreophila, S. rubra subsp. alabamensis, and S. rubra subsp. jonesii, Nora
Murdock & Cary Norquist (United States Fish and Wildlife Service).
♦The Importance of Special Collections at Public Institutions, Leo Song (ICPS).
♦West Coast Bogs, Joe Mazrimas (ICPS).
♦Greenhouse Cultivation of Nepenthes, Cliff Dodd, II.
♦Invasion of the Carnivores, Peter D’Amato (California Carnivores).
♦Poster session, plant sale, tour of Atlanta Botanical Garden.
Day Two
♦Habitat Management and in situ and ex situ Conservation of Endangered Carnivorous
Plants in Japan, Katsuhiko Kondo (Hiroshima University).
♦Carnivorous Plant Tissue Culture: Past, Present and Future, Ron Gagliardo (Atlanta
Botanical Gardens).
♦Conservation for the Collector, Thomas Gibson (University of Wisconsin-Madison).
♦The Breeding and Feeding of Sarracenia, Larry Mellichamp, (University of North
Carolina, Charlotte).
♦Ecology and Management of Pitcher Plant Savannas in the Coastal Plain of the South
East USA, Sharon Hermann (Tall Timbers Research Station).
♦Commercial Production of Carnivorous Plants by Tissue Culture, Mike Rink
(Agristarts).
♦Conservation and Research of Carnivorous Plants on a Local and International Level,
Madeleine Groves (Royal Botanical Garden, Kew).
♦Tour of Atlanta Botanical Garden.
Day Three
♦Diversity Within the Genus Utricularia, Martin Cheek (Royal Botanical Garden,
Kew).
♦Altitudinal Distribution of Nepenthes on Mt. Kinabalu, Rimi Repin (Sabah Parks).
♦ Defying the Deathtrap: Mites and Flies of Pitcher Plants and Their Implications for
Conservation, Rob Naczi (Northern Kentucky University).
♦Aspects of Evolutionary Biology, Genetics, and Biochemistry in Sarracenia, Phil
Sheridan (Virginia Commonwealth University, Meadowview Biological Research
Station).
♦The International Carnivorous Plant Society, Rick Walker (ICPS).
♦Carnivorous Plants in the Classroom, Michael Szesze.
♦ Deathtraps and Lifelines (Video), Thomas Carow.
Day Four — Day Five
♦Field trips through Florida (including Apalachicola National Forest), roadside habitats
in Alabama (including a private holding noted for carnivorous plants).
Volume 26 December 1997 133
 Index of Contributors

Adamec, Lubomir .... 85,99,104 Mann, PhiU. .19,29,68

Bennett, Scott .136 Marshall, Andrew . .126
Bergeron, Sharon .21 Meyers-Rice, Barry. .26,31,71,94,95
Bramblett. O. Clyde.126 105,126,127,129,133
Breckpot, Christian .73,89 Milauskas, Paul. .106
Nishida, T.. .69
Baumgartl, William.127
Rakov, Viktor. .83
Clarke, Charles.4
Schlauer, Jan. 3,16,26,34,94,95,98,111
D’Amato, Peter.20,64
Schmid-Hollinger, Rudolf . .46
Degreef, John D.93 Schnell, Don . .12
Finley, Willie.24 Sheridan, Phil. .51
Graham, Donald L.118 Snyder, Ivan . .115
Hartmeyer, Siegfried.39 Stuart, Mark. .19
Hwee, “Ernest” KAM Chuen . . 12 Thr-Hovanessian, Arthur . . .115
Itoyama, Miyoko .89 Tichy, Martin. .99
Jellson, Alan S.12 Varghese, Sindhu Balu . . . .89
Kaminski, Ryszard .89 Walker, Rick . .107
Kokubugata, Goro.89 Yeo, Joseph . .13
Kondo, Katsuhiko .89 Zevenbergen, Martin J. . . . .112
Kromer, Krystyna .9

A Contest!

The International Carnivorous Plant Society is holding a contest to

develop a logo! The rules are simple: l)Only members can submit designs,
either made by themselves or an artistic associate 2)A member can submit
as many as five completed designs 3)The artwork must be completely orig¬
inal 4)The design must be black and white, should feature the letters
“ICPS”, and must retain its value even when reduced to a few centimeters
in size 5)Contest Judges may not submit entries. A panel of the ICPS offi¬
cers and editors (past and present) will judge the entries. The three runner-
up submissions will be printed in the June 1998 issue of Carnivorous Plant
Newsletter. The winner will be awarded two free years of Carnivorous
Plant Newsletter.

Artwork should be submitted in excellent condition for computer digi¬

tization and reduction. The design should fill approximately a 10 cm x 10
cm (4 inch x 4 inch) area. Computer files of a common format (TIF, GIF,
JPEG) may also be submitted on a PC diskette. All submissions must be
received by Rick Walker by 20 April, 1998 (see the inside cover for his
address). Please include your phone number so we may reach you rapidly.
Be judicious with your designs—details and delicate shadings are likely to
be lost in the scanning and reduction stages. While funny, joke logos depict¬
ing bloodthirsty plants will probably not win the top prize.

134 Carnivorous Plant Newsletter

 Index

Aldrovanda From Northern Ukraine .83

Aldrovanda vesiculosa: Description, Distribution, Ecology, and Cultivation
... 73
An Anthocyanin-Free Variant of Darlingtoma califormca:
Newly Discovered and Already Imperilled .129
Another Nice Trip to Sumatra.4
Book Review: Carnivorous Plants—Species and Cultivation .16
Carnivory of Byblis Revisited—A Simple Method for Enzyme
Testing on Carnivorous Plants .39
Conservation of Endangered Aldrovanda vesiculosa By Tissue Culture.89
CPN Growing Pains.107
Editorial: Barry Meyers-Rice .31,71
Editorial: Jan Schlauer.3,111
Flowering of Aldrovanda vesiculosa in Outdoor Culture in the Czech
Republic and Isozyme Variability of Its European Populations .99
Fossil Aldrovanda .93
Fossil Aldrovanda—Additions.98
From the Pages of CPN 25 Years Ago . 50,106,114
Genetics of Sarracema Leaf and Flower Color .51
Growing Drosera chrysolepis.115
How To Grow Aldrovanda vesiculosa Outdoors.85
In Search of Utricularia pobeguinii: a Field Trip in Guinea,Western Africa . . . 112
Instructions to Authors .26
Literature Reviews.13,121
Nepenthes macfarlanei: Prey Found in Ground Pitchers .46
“New” Data Relating to the Evolution and Phylogeny of Some
Carnivorous Plant Families.34
News & Views .12,105,126
Obituaries .127
Photosynthetic Characteristics of the Aquatic Carnivorous
Plant Aldrovanda vesiculosa (Abstract) .104
Pinguicula caerulea. 136
The Pool of Forgotten Warriors.24
Reflections and Suggestions from 1996 . 118
The Savage Garden: Fertilizing Carnivores .64
The Savage Garden: Windowsill Growing.20
Two New Nepenthes Cultivars (Nepenthaceae).19
The 1997 Conference of the International Carnivorous Plant Society .133

Volume 26 December 1997 135