Sarracenia purpurea subsp. purpurea

<< Previous Next >>
Sarracenia purpurea subsp. purpurea
Photo Information
Copyright: John Denk (jpdenk) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 188 W: 1 N: 307] (829)
Genre: Plants
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-10-01
Categories: Water Plants
Camera: Nikon D70, Nikkor 18-70mm
Exposure: f/5.0, 1/100 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Carnivorous plants [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-02-11 7:59
Viewed: 536
Points: 8
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Purple Pitcher Plant, Sarracenia purpurea subsp. purpurea. A beautiful carnivorous plant, typically found in Sphagnum bogs in northern North America. There is also a southern subspecies, S. purpurea subsp. venosa, found all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico

The hollow leaves give off an aroma that entices insects into them. Once the insect enters the leaf, it finds that it can't crawl upward, as the leaf is lined with stiff downward-pointing hairs that make it easy to descend and difficult to ascend, and as it moves closer to the water-and-enzyme soup in the bottom of the pitcher, things get slippery, and the insect eventually loses its footing and falls in, where it drowns.

It is then gradually digested by the plants digestive enzymes, aided by bacteria. There are, however, 2 species of insects that lay their eggs in the pitcher so that their larvae can develop while living in the liquid in the pitcher: the Pitcher Plant Midge, Metriocnemus knabi and the Pitcher Plant Mosquito, Wyeomia smithii.

The plants in my photo are full of rain water, as it had been raining heavily right before I photographed them, but that isn't typical, the pitchers are usually not quite that full.

These were photographed near Merrill, Wisconsin, USA in a boggy lake border. They were growing in deep Sphagnum Moss.
cysorz has marked this note useful
Only registered TrekNature members may rate photo notes.
Add Critique [Critiquing Guidelines] 
Only registered TrekNature members may write critiques.
Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To meo: Thanks Mehmetjpdenk 1 02-12 14:57
To tuslaw: Similar but differentjpdenk 1 02-12 08:14
You must be logged in to start a discussion.

Critiques [Translate]

beautiful pic! interesting what happening with the digestive solution when its diluted by rain. TFS Ori

John,
Very nice shot, Great colours and sharp details, good useful notes as well. This specimen reminds me of the Skunk Cabbage plants that we have growing here in Ohio. TFS
Ron

  • Great 
  • meo Silver Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 31 W: 1 N: 54] (370)
  • [2008-02-12 14:15]
  • [+]

Good photo but I would be more happy if i could see an insect in one of them.
Tfs.

Hi, John!
Although they are carnivorous, they are also beautiful! Very nice photo of conglomeration of the rather rare vegetable species.
Tadeusz

Calibration Check
















0123456789ABCDEF