YELLOW PITCHERPLANT (Tmmpetleaf ) 



Sarracenia flava Linnaeus 



The conspicuous yellow pitcherplant was probably seen by many 

 early explorers of the southeastern United States, but it was first fully 

 described by Catesby in 173 1 under the name "Sarracena foliis long- 

 ioribus & angustioribus". Although his figure was rather crudely 

 drawn and has been thought by some to represent other species 

 nevertheless it agrees in all essential respects with the yellow pitcher- 

 plant. In assigning binomials to all known plants in 1753, Linnaeus 

 selected the color as its most characteristic feature and accordingly 

 named it Sarracenia flava. 



Like the pale pitcherplant, the present species is to be regarded as a 

 descendant of the green pitcherplant of the Alabama mountains. It 

 differs in having conspicuously reflexed hood margins and decidedly 

 ill-scented flowers with large, delicate, bright yellow petals. Its foliage 

 varies considerably in coloring, being often veined or blotched with 

 purple. In the specimen here figured, however, the purple pigmen- 

 tation was developed scarcely at all. It was grown by Dr. Coville in 

 the Department of Agriculture greenhouses from roots received 

 from North Carolina. 



PLATE 4 



