About
*Pinguicula macroceras*, commonly known as the California or horned butterwort, is a perennial carnivorous herb notable for its sticky, adaxially glandular basal rosette of leaves and its distinctive flower structure, which forms a visible horn.
Field notes
Morphology
The plant grows less than 20 cm tall and features simple fleshy leaves (green-dark brown) arranged in a basal rosette. These leaves are sticky and adaxially glandular, possessing stalked glands for trapping small organisms and sessil glands for digestion. It produces 1-5 inflorescences, each bearing a single purple-blue flower that lacks bracts. The flower's upper lip is 3-lobed, the lower lip is 2-lobed with a white center, and the corolla measures 13–21 mm. The flower is characterized by a distinct horn on the top.
Distribution & habitat
In North America, it is found within 750 km of the Pacific coast across California, Oregon, Washington, and into Canada. Other populations are known to exist in Russia and Japan.
Ecology
The species thrives in nutrient-deprived serpentine soils and moist habitats, adopting a carnivorous behavior to supplement nutrients. It forms basal rosettes on top of, and buries its roots in, layers of moss.
History & etymology
The species was described in 1820 and was originally characterized by a long spur. Later debates focused on whether it was distinct from *Pinguicula vulgaris* or if variations in spur length indicated subspecies status.
Habitat
- Altitude
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- Altitude Class
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Cultivation
- Difficulty
- intermediate
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