Pinguicula variegata Turczaninov

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TAXONOMY:

Family : Lentibulariaceae

Genus : Pinguicula

Name : Pinguicula variegata

Sub-classification (Casper) : link

Publication : Turczaninov in Bull. Soc. nat. Mosc. (1840) 77

DESCRIPTION :  

 

Perennis. Rhizoma simplex breve, radicibus adventitiis numerosis filiformibus. Folia 3 - 7 radicalia rosulata integerrima subspathulata petiolo erecto margine longe ciliato lamina +/- orbiculata margine parum involuta superne glanduloso-viscosa glandulis sessilibus dense et glandulis stipitatis modice dense vestita 6 - 9 mm longa 5 - 7 mm lata (petiolo +/- 5 mm longo excluso) virentia. Hibernacula. Pedicellus solitarius erectus glandulis stipitatis apicem versus dense obsitus (45) 70 - 90 (130) mm altus uniflorus. Flores parvi (8) 10 - 12 (17) mm longi (calcari incluso). Calyx bilabiatus extus glandulis stipitatis +/- dense obsitus; labium superum profunde trilaciniatum laciniis ovatis obtusis vel acutiusculis; labium inferum bipartitum laciniis usque ad 1/2 longitudinis connatis, plus minusve divergentibus elliptico-obtusis vel late obovatis. Corolla bilabiata variegata : albida-caerulea-lutea violaceo-striata; labium superum bilobum lobis ovato-oblongis; labium inferum trilobum albidum lobis inaequalibus intermedio subquadrato apice rotundato-truncato basi angustato lateralibus latissime ovatis multo maiore cum palato vesiculoso. Tubus brevis conicus infundibuliformiter dilatatus violaceo-striatus pilosus pilis cylindrico-ciliatis. Calcar breve conicum rectum luteum 2 - 4 mm longum tubo limboque corollae multo brevius. Stamina +/- 2 mm longa; antherae reniformes. Ovarium subglobosum glandulis stipitatis modice dense obsitum. Stigma bilabiatum labio infero maximo orbiculato margine fimbriato. Capsula obovoida-retusa 2 - 3.5 mm longa 1.5 - 2 mm lata calycem multum superans. Semina scobiformia. 

 

Chromosomata ignota.

 

Floret VI - VII

 

Translation :

 

- soon - 

ORIGIN AND HISTORY :

Jurg Steiger in "Pinguicula (Lentibulariaceae) : The cool climate species of the northern hemisphere - Morphology, Biology, Cultivation" a text from the second conference of the International Carnivorous Plants Society, Bonn (Germany), May 30 - June 1st, 1998 wrote : "The flowers of P. variegata are similar in shape to those of P. alpina, but a little smaller and beautifully three-colored (white/yellow/blue). The leaves and stalks are more like those of P. villosa, but most specimens develop a little 'scaly leaf' with only a few digestive glands, marking the end of the rosette growth. In fact this species totally looks like a hybrid of P. alpina and P. villosa. While P. alpina has 2n=32 and P. villosa 2n = 16 chromosomes, I counted 2n=64 in P. variegata. If P. variegata  is of hybridogene, allopolyploid origin, different chromosomal portions of P. alpina and P. villosa may result in a chromosome number of 64. A number of 64 might result e.g. from each 32 chromosomes originating from P. alpina and P. villosa; or 48 from P. alpina and 16 from P. villosa or other portions (the F2 generation of polyploid hybrids does not split up according to Mendels rule but behaves as a new species). Experimental hybridization of both species will hopefully reveal more insight. A good argument for the hybrid hypothesis is the non-existence of P. variegata in northern Scandinavia, where both P. alpina and P. villosa are rather common. Here the flowering period of P. alpina usually ends before P. villosa starts. In the short Siberian summer the flowering periods of both species overlap which of course facilates hybridization."

Jurg Steiger also wrote that "morphologically I cannot distinguish the flowers of P. ramosa and P. variegata. Also the stalks, winter buds and seeds capsules are almost identical. The only difference are the stalk bifurcation, the lack of the little 'scaly leaf', the different habitat and the chromosome number of 2n = 18 which is unique in this genus. Yoshimura (1973) identified the karyogram of P. ramosa to show some unusually large chromosomes probably resulting from from the fusion of smaller chromosomes, a phenomenon which is not rarely observed in plants of islands : low necessity of compeditive variability, i.e. low necessity of chromosomal exchange, crossing-overs etc. or in banking language : no reason to avoid 'lump risks'. (more on this theory)

I guess that at earlier, cooler times the distribution range of P. variegata also covered Japan. When the climate was getting milder the plants in Asia as well as in Japan retired to highe'r altitudes but in Japan they could not go beyond the summits. Due to an adaptative selection process and genetical isolation P. variegata might have modified to P. ramosa. This would be a classical example where extinction was not avoided by migration but by adaptation."

Localisation / Map: 

From Russia, in central and northeastern Siberia. The Sakhalin island is its southermost sites.

 

 

(click on the map for better location and relief map)

HABITAT: 

Pinguicula variegata can be found in alpine sphagnum bogs, tundras and on mossy slopes and wet rocks at altitudes from 1450 m to 2200 m.

It grows from sea level in the northern and eastern coastal areas up to 2000m in the southern distribution region. It grows in sphagnum bogs of alpine tundras above the timber line of the mountain range along the west shore of the Baikal lake. 

The plants forms brood buds (gemmae) which again form plants with brood buds, finally resulting in clones up to 50 and more plants. Innumerable densely glandular stalks emerge from such clones but only a small percentage of them bear a flower. Jurg Steiger have not seen rosettes forming more than one stalk.

Introduction in culture :

Two origins of the plants in culture : one from Germany, from an unknown origin up to now, maybe from Dr Jurg Steiger's plants, meaning maybe from the west shore of the Baikal lake. The other from Sakhalin island that is grown in Australia in TC. Sakhalin island is its southermost sites. 

CULTURE AND MULTIPLICATION : 

(North hemisphere, France near Paris, in a garden  - see the map -)    

 

Life cycle :In spring, the cycle begins by the opening of the winter buds and the production of the first carnivorous leaves. The first leaves are followed by the flowers in summer. New carnivorous leaves are produced during all the season. Near autumn, or earlier, if your conditions are not optimal, the next hibernacula is revealed in the centre of the rosette. Most specimens develop a little 'scaly leaf' with only a few digestive glands, marking the end of the rosette growth. Then leaf production stops and the old leaves decay slowly. The plant (reduced now to a small hibernacula) is ready for winter and for the next cycle. The plants forms brood buds (gemmae) which again form plants with brood buds, finally resulting in clones up to 50 and more plants. Innumerable densely glandular stalks emerge from such clones but only a small percentage of them bear a flower. Jurg Steiger have not seen rosettes forming more than one stalk.

Media: The plants grow well in a mix of 1/2 peat and 1/2 non calcareous sand.

Pot : in pot (but later in small box)

Cultivation : The long term cultivation of temperate Pinguicula is difficult : If the summer growing conditions are not optimal, the plants will form very weak hibernacula which easily rot. 

Optimal summer growing conditions are : good air humidity, cool temperature and UV lights.

 

Multiplication : By seeds or using the numerous gemmae produced around winter hibernacula.

 PICTURES: (click to enlarge)