Pinguicula bohemica Krajina

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TAXONOMY:

Family : Lentibulariaceae

Genus : Pinguicula

Name : Pinguicula bohemica

Sub-classification (Casper) : link

Publication : by Professor Vladimir Krajina in Mem.Soc.Sci.Boheme 15:1 (1927)

DESCRIPTION :  

(See description of Pinguicula vulgaris)

 

- soon - 

 

Chromosomata 2n=32

 

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 : "in different regions of Europe, P. vulgaris occasionally appears with totally white corolla lobes while the rest of the flower is violet. 

Sometimes P. vulgaris f. bicolor specimens are found amongst the normally colored Pinguicula vulgaris, in other regions there are sites with exclusively 'normal' and exclusively two-colored specimens. As far as I know, the f. bicolor was not recorded in North America."

 

" There is a discussion for the status of P. bohemica as a true different species as the plant looks similar with P. vulgaris f. bicolor. Jurg Steiger wrote in this same article that he grows both and cannot identify any pertinent difference between P. bohemica and P. vulgaris f. bicolor. P.bohemica was published to be tetraploid (2n=32) but considering the difficulty of chromosome counting in Pinguicula the technical quality of this count is not convincing. "

 

in Octobre 2005, I had a personal communication with Dr. Miroslav Studnička (Eric Partrat, email, october 2005) :

 " There is a nevelty in P. bohemica : Professor Casper has been in Czech Republic to make research in P. bohemica. In a laboratory of the University of Jena (Germany) they made also photographies of chromosomes. They confirmed authentically 2n=32. 

I received a letter from Mr. professor, who considers P. bohemica for a clear species. The sometimes used combination P. vulgaris subsp. bohemica must be rejected because there is 2n=64 in P. vulgaris. Professor Casper is preparing a new monograpy of the genus Pinguicula, and status of P. bohemica will be reinstated there. 

 

The flower of Pinguicula vulgaris f. bicolor Photo : Eric Partrat - June 2001 -

The flower of Pinguicula bohemica. Photo : Jan Flisek  website

The flower of Pinguicula vulgaris. Photo : Eric Partrat - June 2001 -

 

 

Localisation / Map: 

Czech endemitic species. Former spread was at ca. 10 sites in N. and C. Bohemia. Recently, the species only occurs at 3 lowland sites in N. Bohemia in the Česká Lípa District.

 

- map coming soon -

HABITAT: 

Pinguicula bohemica is strictly confined to only a cation-rich, neutral or slightly alkaline peat or fen substrate surrounded (and threathened) by Phragmites australis, Molinia coerulea, Carex sp., Juncus sp., Betula sp. 

THREATS : critically endangered

I will quote here an extract of the report of Mr Lubomir Adamec from the institute of Botany of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, published in 1998 " Report on cps in the Czech Republic for IUCN CPSG".   

You can read the full article on www.bestcarnivorousplants.com 's website where you can also sometimes buy some P. bohemica tissue-cultured plantsor the CP nursery of A. Wistuba. 

" Pinguicula bohemica : Czech endemitic species. Former spread was at ca. 10 sites in N. and C. Bohemia. Recently, the species only occurs at 3 lowland sites in N. Bohemia in the Česká Lípa District. The sites form a group, with the distance of 1 km from each other. In 1997, the total size of the native populations was ca. 400 plants.

Threats and conservation: As the species is strictly confined to only a cation-rich, neutral or slightly alkaline peat or fen substrate, the chance to successfully colonize new site is practically zero. The species vanished from former sites due to eutrophication and overgrowing and any re-patriation is not reasonable. The species is very easily hybridized with more common Pinguicula vulgaris which rarely occurs at some extinct sites of P. bohemica.

 The last three sites are strongly endangered by decrease in ground water table in dry and hot seasons and overgrowing by tall invasive vegetation (Phragmites australis, Molinia coerulea, Carex sp., Juncus sp., Betula sp.). Dr. Miloslav Studnička, Head of the North Bohemian Botanic Garden in Liberec, CR, studied the ecology and conservation principles of P. bohemica in his PhD-thesis (1989) over the 80s. He prepared a sterile tissue culture of this species and using this and outdoor cultivation of this species in the Liberec BG, he has tried to repatriate ca. 300-400 plants to one site. The plants grow successfully (in 1997). Such a measure can easily be applied to large areas of the site (up to 0.1 ha totally with ca. 10,000 plants). Otherwise, a strict protection of the all existing sites is necessary. Nowadays, a National Nature Reserve Polomené Mountains is being prepared. It will cover 2 out of the 3 sites. Otherwise, the sites are not protected recently.

The very small populations are also endangered by CP growers or botanists who sometimes collect some plants. About 2 years ago, a CP grower collected plenty of repatriated plants and offered them for sale. The recent protection of the sites depends fully on Dr. Studnička. A regular management of the sites will have to be done in a very near future.

Introduction in culture :

Pinguicula bohemica is unfortunately still rare in culture like many temperate species but can be find in few carnivorous plants nurseries (TC plants) like (indicative list) :

www.bestcarnivorousplants.com

www.wistuba.com

 

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. 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. 

Media : As the species is strictly confined to only a cation-rich, neutral or slightly alkaline peat or fen substrate,the plants can grow in a mix of 1/2 peat and 1/2 non calcareous sand or in our usual mix using cat litter clay.

Pot : large box outside

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 gemmae produced in great number around winter hibernacula.

 PICTURES: (click to enlarge)

An habitat of Pinguicula bohemica (site A). Photo : Jan Flisek  website
An habitat of Pinguicula bohemica (site B). Photo : Jan Flisek  website
Pinguicula bohemica in culture. Photo : Jan Flisek  website	Pinguicula bohemica in culture. Photo : Jan Flisek  website
Pinguicula bohemica, Utricularia intermedia, Drosera rotundifolia in culture. Photo : Jan Flisek  website	Pinguicula bohemica growing closely to D. rotundifolia. Photo : Jan Flisek  website
Cluster of Pinguicula bohemica in its habitat. Photo : RNDr.Miloslav Studnička	Cluster of Pinguicula bohemica in its habitat. Photo : RNDr.Miloslav Studnička
Cluster of Pinguicula bohemica in its habitat. Photo : Jan Flisek  website	Pinguicula bohemica in its habitat. Photo : Jan Flisek  website
Pinguicula bohemica in culture. Photo : Jeff (J.F.Fougere)  website	Flowers of Pinguicula bohemica in its habitat. Photo : RNDr.Miloslav Studnička
More pictures of Pinguicula bohemica in habitat By Adam VELEBA I have been asked to post some pictures from the trip to locality of Pinguicula bohemica (or P. vulgaris var. bohemica if you like it more). I have been there in may 2008, so the pictures are a little older. It is one of a few reamining places, where this plant grows. In the past, there were other places, but most of them were unfortunately destroyed. And by that "but most of them were unfortunately destroyed." i mean, that in the past, there were more localities, but it was in the era of communism and in that times, some protection of nature was unimportant (fot those, who ruled). Our teacher, who showed us this locality (we had there a field practise), showed us also another locality, he said, that he remembers there also great numbers of P. bohemica. But it was decided, that there is "necessary" to have a field or something and the whole fen was drained. The water level lowered and now there grows mostly Molinia caerulea and a few other plants. P. bohemica doesn`t have a chance there (and of course, it is not a good place for a field...). There were also some more localities in another part of the alluvium, from which P. bohemica was described. They are gone now, so far i know, destroyed for similar reasons. Is is much better now, those remaining places are protected and cared by volunteers, who mostly move the overgrowing vegetation and trees. On the locality on photos, P. bohemica is spreading on newly mowed places, so it is looking good.
P. bohemica is from lowlands, it is only known to occur in the fens in alluvium of the river Elbe, and it is known only from the Czech part, which is quite geographically separated (by mountains) from the German part. This locality is in altitude about 200 or 300 m.   Photo : Adam Veleba - May 2008 -	Pinguicula bohemica growing among grasses on very wet place.   Photo : Adam Veleba - May 2008 -
Cluster of Pinguicula bohemica growing among grasses.   Photo : Adam Veleba - May 2008 -	Place is really wet, other places I have seen are not so much (but I have seen only one other locality and one only on photos). I think, that P. bohemica likes it because the water make vegetation sparse and there are places where seeds can germinate, but the water itself is not directly essential for established plants. Of course, plants need enough water to grow.   Photo : Adam Veleba - May 2008 -
There were also some other carnivorous plants - Drosera rotundifolia and Utricularia minor in ponds.   Photo : Adam Veleba - May 2008 -	Pinguicula bohemica in habitat.   Photo : Adam Veleba - May 2008 -
Pinguicula bohemica. Note the bicolourred flower.   Photo : Adam Veleba - May 2008 -	Pinguicula bohemica.   Photo : Adam Veleba - May 2008 -
Pinguicula bohemica.   Photo : Adam Veleba - May 2008 -	Pinguicula bohemica. Note the bicolourred flower.   Photo : Adam Veleba - May 2008 -