Appalachicola Nat'l Forest Pinguicula

[reptiluvr]

Pinguicula ionantha


Pinguicula planifolia? I'm not too good at identifying members of this genus yet.


Close-up of the leaf at 8 o'clock


Pinguicula planifolia

[Randy Zerr]

Yep.
Pinguicula planifolia has the red coloration. there are green planifolias in Apalachicola too. some have nearly white flowers and very similar to ionantha. I've found pure white flowered planifolia here in Okaloosa County. The leaves are distinctively different.

[Brian Barnes]

Hey Reptiluvr,

Good shots! Your "P. ionantha" photo is in fact Pinguicula planifolia. The deeply incised/narrow petals is a determining factor for this species.

However, there are white flowered P. planifolia as Randy said and some plants that seem "stuck" between P. planifolia and P. ionantha. Also, there is a purple flowered P. ionantha as well, but is quite rare. Here's a few pics of such a plant that was growing around a colony of pure, white-flowered [/u P. ionantha.. Note the petal formation is different than P. planifolia and has the typical exuded beard (corolla) trait of P. ionantha. Also, note the bright pale yellowish-green rosette, typical of the species.

Happy Growing,

Brian.

[Randy Zerr]

I too am not entirely convinced that the first photo is Pinguicula ionantha. But I only know of one site that is definite as the location was given to me and the plants do look distinctively different from planifolia. Mainly in the leaf color / texture, and the way the leaf edges inroll, and the flower shape rather than color. The leaves of ionantha have a yellowish glow to them. I see green planifolia all over the Florida panhandle, especially in the Apalachicola National Forest that have flowers very similar to ionantha but the leaves lack the coloration and detail that are in the known ionantha plants.


Pinguicula ionantha


Pinguicula ionantha


This one is tough. It somewhat looks like ionantha to me but believe it is planifolia. It just has that "look". This location in Apalachicola National Forest has a endless variety of leaf color and flower color / shapes. Maybe there is some ancient hybridization with ionantha at this site, but I could not find any examples that matched the known ionantha.


More plants from the same site as above.


Pure white, deeply incised flower of Pinguicula planifolia
Okaloosa County, FL


Pinguicula planifolia. Different plant, same colony as above.

These pictures are from my old camera and aren't very good. Early next March I'll need to out that way and take better shots.