About
This rare species, *Pinguicula ionantha*, is notable for its perennial rosette of bright green, sticky-leaved foliage and its delicate pale violet flowers. It is endemic to the central Florida Panhandle and is currently listed as a federally threatened species.
Field notes
Morphology
The plant forms a rosette of bright green fleshy leaves with rolled edges, each up to 8 centimeters long, which are coated with sticky glandular hairs. Flowers are borne on an erect scape up to 15 centimeters tall, appearing from February through April. The flower is pale violet with a darker violet throat, sometimes featuring darker purple veining. The corolla is up to 2 centimeters wide, featuring a greenish spur about half a centimeter long, and a conical palate covered in yellow or red hairs.
Distribution & habitat
Endemic to the US state of Florida, specifically occurring in the central Florida Panhandle, in bogs within pine savanna habitat.
Ecology
The plant uses sticky glandular hairs on its upper leaf surfaces to trap insects, which it digests for nutrients. It thrives in deep bogs, shallower seeps, wet depressions, and puddles, and can survive underwater for several days after rainfall.
Conservation
It is a federally listed threatened species of the United States, facing threats from habitat loss, silviculture, urban development, and road maintenance.
Habitat
- Altitude
- —
- Altitude Class
- —
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- intermediate
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