Pinguicula crystallina subsp. hirtiflora

TaxonomyPermalink

• Family: Lentibulariaceae
• Genus: Pinguicula
• Name: Pinguicula crystallina subsp. hirtiflora
• Sub-classification (Casper): link
• Publication: Ten. Fl. Nap. 3 (1811 - 1836) 18

Description (In Casper)Permalink

Perennis. rhizoma simplex breve, radicibus adventitiis numerosis filiformibus. Folia 6 - 9, radicalia rosulata integerrima circuitu elliptico-oblonga vel obovata basin versus petioliformiter angustata rotundata cordato-emarginata margine vix involuta superne glanduloso-viscosa glandulis sessilibus dense et glandulis stipitatis modice dense vestita (10) 20 - 60 (80) mm longa (5) 10 - 25 (35) mm lata laete viridia. Hibernacula nulla. Pedicelli 1 - 3 (7) filiformes erecti glandulis stipitatis +/- dense obtecti (35) 50 - 115 (145) mm alti uniflori. Flores sat magni (13) 16 - 25 (32) mm longi (calcari incluso). Calyx bilabiatus viridis extus et intus glandulis stipitatis disperse vestitus; labium superum trilobum lobis spathulatis rotundatis basin versus angustatis; labium inferum obovatum truncatum integrum emarginatum. Corolla bilabiata rosea vel caerulea, extus glandulis stipitatis parce obtecta; labium superum bilobum lobis intergris vel apice subemarginatis obovato-obtusis; labium inferum trilobum lobis cuneatis duplo longior quam latus cum palato pilosus pilis cylindricis vel subulatis in lineis triabus. Palatum bipartitum villiformis +/- 0.5 mm longum et latum luteo-pilosum pilis capitatis. Calcar subulatum rectum vel subincurvum acutum luteo-virescens (4) 6 - 10 (13) mm colporatum. Ovarium subglobosum +/- 1 mm diam. glandulis stipitatis disperse obtectum. Stigma bilabiatum labio infero maximo orbiculato fimbriato. Capsula subglobosa calycem non superans. Semina scobiformia 0.5 - 1 mm longa 0.2 -0.3 mm lata alveolata.

Chromosomata 2n=16

Origin and HistoryPermalink

The holotype of this species was described from the Sorrento Peninsula in central Italy, the westernmost point of its distribution according to 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. You may understand my astonishment when I visited a site located in France, in the Roya river valley. There is no doubt that these plants are Pinguicula crystallina subsp. hirtiflora (see pictures below) !

Jurg Steiger feels that this population can’t be natural because, it is so far from the other populations and there is so many hundreds kilometres to go. His opinion is shared with other botanists. Who introduced seeds or plants there ? What was the reason for this ?

As you know, Pinguicula longifolia subsp. reichenbachiana grows very close to this introduced population (?) but we didn’t note any hybrids.

Location / MapPermalink

(Click on this map for enlargement and localisation of the above depicted habitats)

HabitatPermalink

Pinguicula crystallina subsp. hirtiflora can be found on various habitats : close to the holotype’s site it grows on soggy vertical limestone in full sun just at the warm Mediterranean seashore. In Greece, some sites are found up to 1700m and are certainly exposed to frost and snow each year. P. crystallina subsp. hirtiflora grows on limestone as well as on serpentine, it is found on almost naked, vertical rock walls as well as in sphagnum bogs or in wet meadows along calcareous rivulets.

Introduction to HorticulturePermalink

The easiest way to start a culture is to find seeds from named locations.

Growth and PropagationPermalink

(North hemisphere, France near Paris, in a polycarbonate greenhouse - see the map

Life CyclePermalink

MediaPermalink

I use a 100 % mineral media : 2 perlite, 2 vermiculite, 1 small sand (for aquarium), 1 fine white sand, 1 pouzzolane (volcanic lava), 2 marly calcareous detritus.

PotPermalink

Plastic, colour terracotta, diameter 12.5cm, height 12cm.

CultivationPermalink

PropagationPermalink

By seeds. Sometimes, the plant rot and some plantlets sprout from the roots. The easiest way is to sow seeds each year.

PicturesPermalink

Pinguicula crystallina subsp. hirtiflora from Roya River Valley (France)Permalink

Natural or introduced population ? more…

Pinguicula crystallina subsp. hirtiflora from Rossano, Gorges of Celadi, Calabria, Italy.Permalink

Pinguicula crystallina subsp. hirtiflora from Amalfi coast, near Salerno, Italy.Permalink

Site N° 1 : As you can see on the pictures, it is a very nice place for your holydays : you can sit in the bar on the beach and drink a cold beer and at the same time you can watch the blooming plants on the rock in the bar. I don’t know any other site of rare carnivorous plants in Europe like this.

I have heard, that employees of the bar kept there, the sausages in hot summer days because the place is very cool near the wall. Jan Flisek have been there twice in summer, but he hasn’t seen any sausages stocked there. Maybe, since they know about existence of carnivorous plants behind their bar, they are afraid of losing sausages … (Jan Flisek)

Site N° 2 : These photos come from a site directly on the sea coast. This site is close to the previous one, but if you want to visit it, you have to rent a boat or swim (this site is not accessible from dry land). Juerg Steiger told me, that the salt from the sea water splashs the plants by tempests. I couldn’t believe him until I saw the plants ! (Jan Flisek)

Pinguicula crystallina subsp. hirtiflora from Kelcyre, Vjoses river valley, AlbaniaPermalink

Pinguicula crystallina subsp. hirtiflora from Megaspilaeon, GreecePermalink

The first form was found in mount Megaspileon (Peloponnese), on the road between Diakopton and Kalavryta, on the left, some turns before the monastery of Megaspileo. The biotope is a cascade on limestone rocks, and what strikes the most compared to the biotopes in our countries is the density of plants per m2 … In spite of the sun, the temperature of water remains fresh (16°C). It is a pretty plant with approximately 8 cm in diameter, of a clear green for the least exposed plants, but turning to a nice colour (Bordeaux wine) for the plants in full sun. This gives to these plants an aspect a little burnt. The flower is rather pretty with a sharp orange palate, a white throat and pink-pale petals. The leaves are a little more lengthened than the other Greek form, a little pointed, and slightly undulated…

Pinguicula crystallina subsp. hirtiflora from Venetikos river :Permalink

The second form was found more in the north, 13 km before Grevena, while coming from Kalambaka, in the locality called Venetikos River. The biotope is a calcareous cascade too in a fault. The place around the cascade is surprisingly dry and dusty with a dry air, except where the water is falling. The density of the plants is higher than in the previous location, especially in the very friable rock at the bottom of the cascade where there is a cluster of young seedlings. The size of the rosette is a little smaller. The maximum diameter is 6,5 cm, and its colour is of a clearer green approaching the colour of P. vulgaris leaves. The colour does not change for this clone with sun exposure. The flower presents also clear differences compared to the previous form; it is smaller, but the colour is the same. On the other hand, the lobes are narrower and bilobate. The leaves are also rounder and the edge is turned up uniformly.

Pinguicula crystallina subsp. hirtiflora from Olymp Mount, GreecePermalink