Darlingtonia (Sarraceniaceae)
From Freepedia
- Darlingtonia is also a genus of snakes in the family Colubridae.
| Cobra Lily | ||||||||||||||
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| Image:Darlingtonia californica.jpg Darlingtonia's translucent stems confuse insects trying to escape | ||||||||||||||
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| Darlingtonia californica Torr., 1853 |
Darlingtonia (Darlingtonia californica), also called the California Pitcher plant or Cobra Lily, is a carnivorous plant in the family Sarraceniaceae. It is native to California and Oregon, growing in bogs and seeps. The name Cobra Lily is from the resemblance of the tubular leaves to a rearing cobra, complete with "fangs".
The genus Darlingtonia is monotypic.
The plant was discovered in 1841 by the botanist J. D. Brackenridge at Mount Shasta. In 1853 it was described by John Torrey, who named the genus Darlingtonia after a friend.
Biology
The cobra lily is unique among the three genera of North American pitcher plants in two ways. First, it does not trap rainwater in its pitcher. Instead, it regulates the level of water inside manually by releasing or absorbing water into the trap that has been pumped up from the roots. Second, it doesn't produce any digestive enzymes. The cells that absorb nutrients from the inside of the pitcher are the same as those on the roots that absorb soil nutrients. Instead, the pitcher plant relies on symbiotic bacteria and protozoa to break down the captured insects into easily absorbed nutrients.
In addition to the use of lubricating secretions and downward-pointing hairs common to all pitcher plants to force their prey into the trap, this species carefully hides the tiny exit hole from trapped insects by curling it underneath and offering multiple translucent false exits. The only other species that utilizes this technique is the Parrot Pitcher Plant, Sarracenia psittacina'.
A remaining mystery surrounding the cobra lily is its means of pollination. Its flower is unusually shaped and complex, typically a sign of a close pollinator-plant specialization, but none have been identified. While pollination has not yet been observed in action, it is generally expected that the pollinator is either a fly attracted to the flower's unpleasant smell or some nocturnal insect, as no extensive study has been performed to observe potential nighttime pollinators.
Captive care
Cobra lilies are among the most difficult carnivorous plants to keep in captivity. The problem is that cobra lilies typically grow in bogs or streambanks that are fed by cold mountain water, and grow best when the roots are kept cooler than the rest of the plant. Nevertheless, many carnivorous plant enthusiasts have succeeded in cultivating these plants, and have developed three new color morphs: all green, all red, and red-green bicolor.
Wild type plants are all green in moderate light and bicolor in intense sunlight.
External links
- The Carnivorous Plant Society - Darlingtonia californica
- Darlingtonia State Natural Site
- Beautiful photography and extensive information about Darlingtonia
