Varieties:
S. alata var. alata – Of the many varieties of this plant, S. alata var. alata is the most common. This variety exhibits no unique flare, and represents the basic color and shape of the typical S. alata. This variety features no venation (vein pattern on the pitcher tube), and only occurs in the east and western range.
S. alata var. atrorubra – found only in the eastern range, this variety is distinguished by its unique coloration. With this variety, the pitcher tubes take on a beautiful deep red color, similar to varieties of S. flava. S. alata var. cuprea – similar to S. flava var. cuprea, this variety looks nearly identical to S. alata var. alata, except it features a unique copper-colored lid. It is only found in the eastern range. S. alata var. nigropurpurea – found only in the eastern range, this is perhaps the darkest variety of North American pitcher plant, hence the name which refers to it’s black-purple coloration. Exceptional cultivars (unique specimens that were created through selective breeding) of this plant are pure black. S. alata var. ornata – once again found only in the eastern range, this plant has ornate (hence the name) pinstripe and reticulate veining throughout the pitcher tube, and is analogous to the ornata variety of S. flava. S. alata var. rubrioperculata – this highly sought after variety features a dark orange/red patch on the ‘throat’ between the mouth and lid of the pitcher or on the underside of the lid. Again, it is only found in the eastern range. In conclusion, despite not being as striking or unique as some of the other Sarracenia, S. alata is just as beautiful, especially when it comes to its varieties. The pitcher trap works just like most other Sarracenia, so if you are curious as to how it captures prey, view my previous blog. The trapping mechanisms of S. minor, S. purpurea, and S. psittacina will be the only ones discussed in detail.When it comes to my collection, I do not have many specimens of S. alata. I am happy to own S. alata var. rubrioperculata and atrorubra, but I do not have pictures of them at this time. I have some hybrids with S. alata parentage, but those will be discussed in a future blog.
- https://carnivorousplantresource.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/salata_card.jpg
- https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/Sarracenia_alata_range.png/330px-Sarracenia_alata_range.png
- https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/Q7Ex8AUQCGAFSBhYD3Q4hZqn43GOjYoq5O_-MlOFR0E_vsiBhNGUbif4Hk51qwalqYBpdnpUIRbA3L98uks0HCf-VdZQg954v1C-CKa_-jCl5KfL3w
- https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/7yXO8immHlV2LRgbOICrFtsmgL2axp3ikZxpdM2g0lxF_2IlARtusYSuGKXDWuHw0rqn=s128
- https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/t4DrYFXnG0GPyvRGnotIkl43TDxfbu8RGs3iswee8nU5DC4B4Q7s7he-N7_XPBYttPxL-w=s113
- https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yGk6Ur0TrDkcUyRgObmdJ5_L4rVNcyLK7CIHuRO-SA8h7atU9IMsx7jJzULZhq8eOdK1A=s85
- https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/D2rARJt8k2wiskNoR_DaMVzLwvwO5PIoSUG1pIA7dBcB_s34w5BLMJYgzu8r7bT_ozCt=s85
- https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/vxM6Qg6Q0nA2J0X3r3H8IKGdDzH6GEMbSnRkJ4dtehC-QeEAxAGnWSS3_iuiLokIpmgr=s85
I used to own pitcher plants and I really enjoyed the information you provided. I had them when I was younger and I had no idea they even grow in the United States. The black one was really cool too.
It was very informative to include all the types of S. alata, the pictures and descriptions really aided in understanding the article.
I think you knowledge and expertise of plants is very fascinating. All of these plants were very cool, my favorite being S. alata var. ornata.