Pinguicula poldinii

Pinguicula poldinii

TAXONOMY:

Family : Lentibulariaceae

Genus : Pinguicula

Name : published in 2001 by S.J.Casper and J.Steiger

Sub-classification (Casper) : link

Publication : Wulfenia 8, (2001) : 27-37 by S. Jost Casper and J. Steiger.

"A new Pinguicula (Lentibulariaceae) from the pre-alpine region of Northern Italy (Friuli-Venezia Giulia) : Pinguicula poldinii Steiger et Casper spec. nov."

Etymology : The epithet was chosen in honour of Professor Dr. Livio Poldini, from Trieste, who is one of the most experienced and engaged explorers of the flora and vegetation of his region.

DESCRIPTION :

Herba perennis rhizomate brevi simplici adscendente; radicibus adventitiis numerosis filiformibus. Folia radicalia rosulata, rosula homophylla; solum adpressa, pauci, (4) 5 - 6 (8); lamina ambitu ovato-oblonga, obtusa, 2 - 4 plo longiora quam latiora, (22) 25 - 35 (39) mm longa (sine petiolo), (5) 7 - 10 (13) mm lata; basi in petiolum ~8 - 9 mm longum sensim attenuata; scapo breviora; superiore glanduloso-viscosa; in locis umbrosis (supra locis berbidis siccis iriguis) viridia, in locis soli expositis (supra rupibus praeruptis) rubiginosa; margine haud involuta. Scapi 1 - 4 (6), erecti, teretes, filiformes, parum glandulosi, (32) 45 - 70 (78) mm alti, uniflori. Flores magni, (21)24 - 28(32) mm longi (calcari incluso). Calyx distintec bilabiatus, laete viridis, soli expositus et maturitatis subfuscus, persisten, glandulosus; tubum corollae multo breviore; labium superum regulariter profunde trilobum saepe irregulariter profunde quatuor - vel quiquelobum, lobis oblongis basin versus vix angustatis, vel ovato-oblongis basin versus distincte ngustatis, apice obtusis vel acutis (lobo medio saepe bi - vel tripartito), duplo vel triplo longioribus quam latioribus; labium inferum regulariter subintegrum vel (maxime) usque ad 2/3 longitudinis bilobum (rare irregulariter tri- vel quatuorlobum). Tubus brevis, infundibuliformis, ~5 - 8 mm longus et latus, ad faucem late ampliatus; faux albido-pilosa; sine palato. Calcar rectum vel subincurvum, magis tenue, subacutum. Corolla nitens caeruleo-violacea, sparse glandulosa, striis albidis-violaceis delineata, basin calcarata versus macula albida dilatata, late ampliata, bilabiata, calyce multum longiora; labia distincte inaequalia; labium superum regulariter bilobum (rare trilobum), lobis oblongis apice obtusis, ~ 5 - 7 mm longis, maxime duplo longioribus quam latioribus; antice distincte erectis et revolutis; labium inferum regulariter trilobum interdum irregulariter quatuor- vel quinquelobum, lobis magis longioribus quam latioribus, ~ 9 - 11 mm longis , inter se inaequalibus (lobo medio plerumque distincte longiore quam lobi laterali, apice obtusis, basin versus vix attenuatis, (7) 9 - 11 (13) mm longum, limbum corollae subaequantem. Stamina 2, basi ovarii adnata; filamenta breves, incurvata; antherae 2, thecis connatis. Granula pollinis subglobosa-prolata, ~30 µm in diametro, (zono-) 6 - 8 colporata. Ovarium superum, sessile, ~2 mm in diametro subglobosum, uniloculare, in stylum brevissime productum; ovula plura placentae centrali liberae sessilia; stigma terminale brevissime inaequaliter bilobum, fimbriatum, antheris umbrelliformiter obtegentum. Capsula globosa, ~ 5 mm in diametro, unilocularis, bivalvis, fusca, calyce persisente paulo breviora, subinclusa. Semina late cylindricea, 0.6 - 0.7 mm longa, scobiformes, brunnea; testa reticulata. Hibernacula 7 - 11 mm longa, 5 - 8 mm in diametro, partes expositae luci purpureae-brunneolae, plerumque cum aliquot gemmis. Floret : V; fructifer : V - VI.

ORIGIN AND HISTORY :

THREATS :

" Severe concerns about the conservation status of P.poldinii "

We are Fabio d'Alessi and Filippo Tassara, two of the staff members of the Italian Carnivorous Plant Society (AIPC).
We have been deeply involved in CP cultivation, study and conservation during the past years.
Both of us are involved in the Conservation Project, intended for the study and protection of the Italian carnivorous plants, of which Filippo is the responsible and a reference for local Botanical Gardens.
According with the AIPC staff, we are sending this message to the international cp mailing list with the hope that it will have the widest distribution.
As most of you know, one of the most recent discoveries in the cp world has been Pinguicula poldinii, a wonderful new species from the prealps, in Friuli Venezia Giulia (Italy). At present there are only few known small populations of this species. The location of these populations is known only to very few people, and we do pay extreme caution to avoid disseminating information about these sites.
Last year AIPC decided to have a survey on the status of the sites of P.poldinii, and we made a sad discovery : the type site, already visited by other groups, showed evident signs of plant removal and, worst of all, there were *no* seed pods. On hundreds of plants found there was not a single seed pod left.
We would like to stat it clearly : THERE WAS NOT A SINGLE SEED POD LEFT ON A WHOLE POPULATION.
We had to look with extreme care to be able to find a few plants, in extremely dangerous and exposed cliffs, which still had their seed pods intact.
The other bad surprise has been seeing seeds of Pinguicula poldinii popping up at different commercial seed banks - obviously at a price. And hearing "rumors" of people "having seeds of the type site of this rarest species" and offering them at high prices or trading them for rarest species...
We do personally think that maintaining a valuable seed repository by commercial firms is a wonderful idea, and actually helps the conservation of plants in their natural habitats.
We do also think that collecting one or two seed pods from a limited population of plants, especially if located in such a distant and difficult site is a rewarding and legitimate desire and, if done in the right way, is fully sustainable by the population itself. (Of course, in the case of protected plants, this is often illegal and permits, generally not impossible to obtain, should be requested to the local authorities). On the other hand we URGE to STRESS the fact that collecting virtually all the seeds of a very small local population is a terrible practice that can lead to the potential destruction of the site itself.
Collecting huge amounts of seeds from a smallest population, to use the seeds trading them for other species or in other affairs is a stupid practice that throws a splotch of mud on the conscience of the whole cp community.
We strongly hope that whoever knows the location of the sites of P.poldinii (and of other extremely rare species as well) will better guard the data of the site location from now on.
If the practice of massive collection of seeds from the site of P.poldinii will continue, we will HAVE TO try more drastic actions than just writing an email like this one, and in the end we will end up with situations like the paranoid status of the single smallest site of P.abruzzensis (where fences make it impossible even to reach the site and it is impossible even to ask for permits even to collect just ONE seed of that species).

Do we want to end up like this?

With our best regards,

Fabio d'Alessi <cars@bio.unipd.it>
Filippo Tassara <strega@split.it>
AIPC - Associazione Italiana Piante Carnivore
www.aipcnet.it

Map / localisation :

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

HABITAT:

On steeps rocks in Val d'Arzino north of San Francesco, along the wet uphill border of the road. The majority of these sites are likely to have been created while digging away the uphill rocks for the road construction. Altitude are 450 m to 550m.

According to POLDINI & VIDALI (1999), in the catchment area of the mountain-river D'Arzino, the woods are dominated by Austrian pines and are described as Fraxino orni-Pinetum nigrae.

P. poldinii grows with the following accompanying species Eucladium verticillatum (moss), Adiantum capillus-veneris, Adenostyles glabra, Petasites albus, P. paradoxus, Parnassia palustris and Tofieldia calyculata. Dr. Poldinii also found Pinguicula poldinii with Schoeno nigricantis-Chrysopogonetum grylli. Dr. Jan Schlauer mentioned Paederota lutea, Pinguicula alpina and Soldanella minima at the Canale di Cuna site.

Introduction in culture :

J got one plant in 1999 (rotten during winter 1999) and others in 2002.

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 growing 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 : big plastic box.

Cultivation : The long term cultivation of temperate Pinguicula is difficult : If 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.
I grow my plants in my garden all the year with a good amount of direct sun.

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