JUNE 



IRISH GARDENING 



97 



Sarracenias. 



By R. M. Pollock. 



THESE plants are what are sometimes known as 

 the "side-saddle flower," probably from the long 

 petals which hang between the curves of the 

 curious umbrella-like pistil. They are, however, more 

 often spoken of as "pitcher plants," which name they 

 get from the pitcher-shaped leaves. In their native 

 country of North America, the sarracenias are bog 

 plants, but can be easily cultivated as pot plants. If 

 potted in a compost of peat and sphagnum, kept 

 cool during winter when growth is at rest, and 

 given a little heat and moisture to start them in 

 spring, the result should be satisfactorw These 

 plants are usually grown 

 for their brightly- 

 coloured pitchers, which 

 are really the leaves. 

 The accompanying 

 photo shows these 

 leaves, which in many 

 of the varieties are very 

 beautiful. Two sets of 

 pitchers are made during 

 the growing period, one 

 set while the plants are 

 in flower, and a second 

 set, which is the best 

 and strongest, is made 

 after flowering. These 

 pitchers vary much in 

 colour and shape, some 

 are long and thin, others 

 broad and shorter, some 

 are red - veined with 

 darker red, others light- 

 green turning to white 

 at the mouth of the 

 pitcher, and this white 

 portion veined with 

 green, others have the 

 white portion veined with 

 red. The flowers are 

 also remarkable, they 

 stand above the pitchers, 

 solitary, that is, one 

 flower to a stalk, and 

 nodding at the least 

 touch. These flowers 

 also vary considerably 

 in colour, from bright 

 red to dark red and pale 

 yellow. Many garden 

 hybrids have been 

 raised which have im- 

 proved the colour and 

 size of the flowers as 

 well as the size and sub- 

 stance of the pitchers. 

 Among these hybrids 

 may be mentioned 

 Popei, Chelsoni, and 

 Mooreana. There are 

 also many named seed- 

 lings. The object of these 



pitchers is to attract and catch insects. The insect 

 innocently alights on the glossy, curved surface at the 

 mouth of the pitcher, to which it is attracted by the 

 honey glands there secreted. As it proceeds inwards 

 and downwards the surface becomes more slippery, and 

 reaching a portion covered with hairs, also leading it 

 downwards, it soon falls into the base of the pitcher, 

 where it quickly dies and its body decomposes. Owing 

 to the downward pointing hairs and slippery surface it 

 is impossible for any insect to return once it has 

 started the journey. It should be noted that in these 

 sarracenias it is the whole leaf that is transformed into 

 the pitcher, while in Nepenthes, also known as '' pitcher 

 plants." it is only a portion of the leaf. 



Photo /'.vj 



Sarracenia. (Photographed in Glasnevin 



