PURPLE PITCHER PLANT 



Scientific name: Sarracenia purpurea. 



Identifying features: Pitchers are short, 

 squat, jug-shaped, recline partly on the 

 soil, grow to 15 inches long and 2 inches 

 wide at the mouth. The hood is upright, 

 not covering the opening, large conspicu- 

 ous hairs point downward on inside of 

 hood. Pitchers are green when newly 

 formed, but become red- veined, and some- 

 times entirely red, when exposed to sun. 

 Newer pitchers nearly always contain a 

 pool of water in which the prey are 

 trapped. Flowers are red, magenta, or dark 

 pink, grow to 1 1/2 inches across; stalks 

 to 12 inches. 



Flowering period: From about March 20 

 to mid-April. They are the earliest of the 

 pitcher plants to flower. 



Distribution: The most widespread 

 pitcher plant. Across southern Canada and 

 the northeastern United States, south along the Atlantic Coast, to northern Florida, 

 west to eastern Louisiana. Also at scattered sites in the Appalachians. 



Habitat: Bogs, wet savannas, boggy troughs, and springy areas. 



Distribution in forest: Scattered throughout. 



Abundance in forest: Occasional, although perhaps commoner than they ap- 

 pear because plants may be hard to see among taller herbs and shrubs. 



Other information: This is the species that gave the name "pitcher planf to the 

 group. Its leaves resemble old-fashioned cream pitchers. Ponce de Leon is said to 

 have sipped liquid from this plant to determine if it might be the fabled Fountain 

 of Youth. It is not recorded how long it took him to pick the insect parts out of his 

 teeth! 



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