Pinguicula grandiflora f. chionopetra

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This page is dedicated to J. Steiger, S. Lampard and J.J.LABAT 

TAXONOMY:

Family : Lentibulariaceae

Genus : Pinguicula

Name : Pinguicula grandiflora f. chionopetra

Sub-classification (Casper) : link

Publication : " White-blossomed Pinguicula grandiflora Lam. in the Burren, County Clare, Ireland."

By E.C. Nelson in Watsonia Vol 19, Part 4, August 1993, pages 273-275.

DESCRIPTION :  By E.C. Nelson found in IPSG N°4 - February 1994

Corolla pure white, or at most the very young unopened flowers tinted pink; calyx yellow green without red or purple tints.

 

From County Clare, Ireland.

 

Translation :

 

no need ;-)) 

ORIGIN AND HISTORY : 

Jurg Steiger was the first in may 1956 to publish a picture of a white blossomed Pinguicula grandiflora, collected in Ireland, Clare county, The Burren near Ballyvaughan, 400 m, limestone, by D.A. Webb.

 

The original picture can still be seen here in the CP database of Jan Schlauer hosted in the ICPS web site : Pinguicula grandiflora f. chionopetra

 

Then, E.C. Nelson published an article of a " White-blossomed Pinguicula grandiflora Lam. in the Burren, County Clare, Ireland." in Watsonia, in August 1993 named Pinguicula grandiflora f. chionopetra.

 

This article was then published in the famous IPSG N° 4, and comment by the no less famous S.L. Lampard (Editor of the IPSG). Here is the extract : 

 

"During the summers of 1989, 1990 and 1991 in one of the Burren populations, white flowered plants were seen and photografed. ...

The flowers were enterely white, without any purple or pink marks or tints; however in 1990 a very young bud of one particular plant, just as it began to rise above the rosette, had a light pink flush but this was not apparent on the fully open flowers at anthesis. In 1989 & 1990 plenty of seed was produced by the white blossomed plants. 

Steiger (1987) published a photograph of a series of flowers of P. grandiflora variants, including examples names P. grandiflora f. pallida (Gaudin) Casper and P. grandiflora subsp. rosea (Mutel) Casper. In f. pallida the corolla throat was purple, and in subsp. rosea not only was the calyx purple but the corolla throat was lined with a darker pink. The white blossomed Burren examples did not have coloured marking on the corolla and the calyx is entirely devoid of red pigments. ...

No enterely white flowered variety of Pinguicula grandiflora has been published hitherto. Pinguicula grandiflora subvar. albescens Rouy (1909 'corolle blanche lavée de rose) could be interpreted as including the Burren variant. ...

However, Rouy's subvariety has been relegated to synonymy under  P. grandiflora subsp. rosea (Casper 1962, 1966) which certainly cannot encompass white flowered plants ('corollae ...fauce violacea vel pallida violacea-pilosa...')

 

Since this date, no more pictures or plants were seen until 2000 where J.J. LABAT received from a botanist a plant labelled as Pinguicula grandiflora 'fleur blanche' (white flower). This plant have been collected in a small population of white flowers (among normal ones) by the botanist not far the town of Bareges, in the Pyrenees moutains in France.

 

This is one of the heir of the plant grown carefully, multiplicated and given to me in early product by J.J.LABAT that I pround to show below.

 

No doubts that now this forma will become available soon among worldwide carnivorous plants amateurs.

 

Localisation / Map: 

The holotype was found in Ireland, County Clare, in the Burren. The Burren, is an area of limestone rock covering imposing majestic mountains, and tranquil valleys with gently meandering streams. The Burren occupies an area of approximately 300 sq. kilometres.

 

The Burren area, Ireland Maps by www.calle.com
More info on the Burren area can be found here :  The Burren

 

The above depicted specimen was found in the French Pyrenees, not far Bareges. The precise location is withheld.

 

Bareges, France Maps by www.calle.com Latitude 42.9 Longitude 0.0666667 Altitude (feet) 4908 Lat (DMS) 42° 53' 60N Long (DMS) 0° 4' 0E Altitude (meters) 1495

HABITAT: 

Same habitat as Pinguicula grandiflora. On half shady calcareous and loamy slopes. 

Introduction in culture :

By few gemmae collected by the discoverer of another specimen growing among a normal population, in the french Pyrenees. 

The mother plant was left in place.

This species can be purchased (soon) in J.J.LABAT carnivorous plants french nursery.

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: 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. 

Pot : In big box, with direct sun for 5 hours per day.

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)