entry35
I bought four carnivorous plants.
1. Sarracenia Purpurea (Pitcher Plant)
2. Nepenthes spp. (Pitcher Plant)
3. Dionaea Muscipula (Venus Fly Trap)
4. Drosera spp. (Sundew)
Sarracenia species are mostly found along the southeastern edge of the USA. The exception to this is Sarracenia purpurea, which ranges widely from the gulf coastal plain of the USA, up along the east coast, into Maine and through Canada. The largest concentration of species is in the area of Mobile, Alabama. This plant is not doing too well inside my terrarium. I guess the artificial climate can not suit everything.
The Genus Nepenthes is native to the jungles of southeast Asia, northern Australia, and Madagascar. Like Sarracenia, the genus Nepenthes contains nearly ninty speices which are highly endangered because of habitat destruction, fire, and collection. (I was not aware of that when I aquired this plant. It must of been grown from a clone at an established nursery.) This genus is the one that is most involved with illegal overseas trade. Several species are already extinct. The plant appears very much like an orchid with long, stiff, green leaves that end in a pitcher.
Knowledge about the Venus Fly Trap is pretty common. Mine has grown a flower stalk but has not yet bloomed. The plant is all green and has formed a short, dense concentration of leaves.
The main, large Sundew has flowered. It grew a long stalk and produced several, tiny white and pinkish star-shaped flowers. But since my terrarium is too small, the stalk twists and turns looking for an opening. Unfortunately, when the flowers come into contact with water droplets on the ceiling glass plate they rot. On the bright side, it now appears that I have two species of sundews growing in the same pot. There is a small, round leafed type that is growing up around the base of the other, larger one. Since these plants grow in clusters, I will not separate them. Also, I must keep their leafs from touching other plants, for it will rot other leaves I have learned.