Sarracenia

Scientific name

Sarracenia L.

Common names

pitcher plant, North American pitcher plants, trumpet pitchers

Family

Sarraceniaceae

Native distribution

eastern North America

Species cultivated

(10 species plus numerous cultivated hybrids and varieties)

Sarracenia alabamensis Case & R.B. Case

S. alata (Alph. Wood) Alph. Wood

S. flava L.

S. jonesii Wherry

S. leucophylla Raf.

S. minor Walter

S. oreophila Wherry

S. psittacina Michx.

S. purpurea L.

S. rubra Walter

Adventive distribution

introduced in Europe, Asia, and New Zealand

Weed status

not weedy

Habit

amphibiousamphibious:
(adj) of a plant able to live on land or in water
to aquatic carnivorous herbs; clump or mat-forming

Brief description

Small to medium rosetterosette:
(n) a radiating cluster of leaves, usually close to the ground at the base of a plant
. Rhizomatousrhizomatous:
(adj) possessing rhizomes
. Leaves specialized into trumpet-like shape to traptrap:
(n) a plant structure designed to catch and detain animal prey
insects; erect to ascending, occasionally ± decumbentdecumbent:
(adj) (of stems) having a portion lying along the ground, with upper parts erect or ascending
; tubulartubular:
(adj) (of a corolla, perianth, calyx tube or other structure) (1) tube-shaped; cylindrical: narrow and elongate with more or less straight sides; (2) having segments fused into a tube (of any shape)
, tapering toward base; green, yellow-green, white, reddish, or purplish; exterior glabrousglabrous:
(adj) without hairs or scales
or sparsely pubescentpubescent:
(adj) (1) covered with short, soft hairs; (2) bearing hairs
; interior divided into 3 to 5 distinguishable zones. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
a large solitary nodding flower subtended by 3 ovateovate:
(adj) egg-shaped in outline; generally with the broad end at or near the base
bracts; bracts ovateovate:
(adj) egg-shaped in outline; generally with the broad end at or near the base
, usually appressedappressed:
(adj) pressed closely to or lying flat against
or adjacent to sepals. Sepals 5, ovateovate:
(adj) egg-shaped in outline; generally with the broad end at or near the base
, apexapex:
(n) the point farthest from the point of attachment; the tip (often pointed)
obtuseobtuse:
(adj) with a blunt or rounded apex and sides coming together at an angle of more than 90 degrees
or rounded, margins entireentire:
(adj) having a continuous margin that is not toothed or lobed
; petals 5, slightly touching basally, pendulous between lobes of stylestyle:
(n) in a flower, the narrow and elongated part of the pistil between the stigma and the ovary
disc, apexapex:
(n) the point farthest from the point of attachment; the tip (often pointed)
rounded, margins entireentire:
(adj) having a continuous margin that is not toothed or lobed
or erose; stamens numerous, filaments slightly variable in length; stylestyle:
(n) in a flower, the narrow and elongated part of the pistil between the stigma and the ovary
expanded into large, umbrella-like, peltatepeltate:
(adj) of usually flat organs such as leaves: having its stalk attached to its underside away from the margin, near the center
disc.

Natural habitat

acidic habitats with soil poor in nutrients, permanently wet fens, swamps, and grassy plains

Additional comments

Sarracenia contains about 20 species and natural hybrids. Accurate classification of the genus is difficult because species readily hybridize and produce fertilefertile:
(adj) producing viable seed, spores, or pollen; capable of reproducing
offspring.