Pinguicula 'Titan'

Submitted October 20, 1999

This hybrid Pinguicula was created at by Leo C. Song, Jr. on 17 July 1987. The seed parent was a fragrant clone of P. agnata we grow at California State University at Fullerton. This is the only fragrant Pinguicula we have, and its taxonomic status is still uncertain. The pollen parent was an unidentified Pinguicula collected by David Verity near Guanajuato, Mexico in 1975. The pollen parent forms a hibernaculum below the surface of the ground, sometimes at a depth of over 1.5 cm (1/2 inch), and has flowers similar in form to P. gypsicola. It may be P. macrophylla.

At its largest, the leaves of Pinguicula ‘Titan’ can exceed the confines of a 15 cm (six inch) pot! The leaves resemble the pollen parent’s, in having a longer and more pronounced petiole than the leaves of the seed parent. However, the flower shape definitely favors the seed parent, but the blue edges have been replaced with an even magenta glow. A slight fragrance is also evident. It forms a large subterranean hibernaculum, but has a relatively short dormant period.

Pinguicula ‘Titan’ is very vigorous and easy to grow. We use a general mix for carnivorous plants (2 parts coco peat, 2 parts peat moss, 1 part fine orchid bark, 3 parts #20 quartz sand, 1-1.5 parts coarse perlite) to which we add a bit of dolomite and gypsum (1 part to 800 parts potting mix). A 5 cm (2 inch) layer of perlite is placed at the bottom of the pot for added drainage and enhanced aeration. We grow it under lights and natural lighting. It is being sold by a number of stores, such as Booman Floral of Vista California. It survives on store shelves longer than all other carnivorous plants, flowering there even after Venus Flytraps, sundews, and Sarracenia have died.

The cultivar name ‘Titan’ was chosen both to indicate the plants large size, but also to commemorate the nickname for California State University, Fullerton. I nominated this name some time in 1998, and it was sent (by Barry Rice) for registration on 20 October 1999. Pinguicula ‘Titan’ should be propagated by vegetative means only in order to preserve its distinctive characters.

LEO SONG, JR.

Sarracenia leucophylla ‘Schnell's Ghost’

Submitted February 4, 2000

One of the peculiarities found in many of the red-flowered species of Sarracenia are the so-called aberrant colour forms. In addition to the range of pink and red colours found in many individuals of these species, plants are occasionally discovered which have pure yellow flowers. The genetics governing this effect are well documented (Sheridan & Scholl, 1996; Sheridan, 1997) and are known to affect red colour production in either the flower or the entire plant.

Of particular merit is the yellow-flowered clone of Sarracenia leucophylla. This plant has, in addition to the pure yellow flower, a complete absence of red colouring in the upper-pitcher tube and lid. The almost pure white lid is innervated with narrow green veins; the white colour includes the inner lid-surface and column, and extends to the upper section of the pitcher tube. The only red colour in the plant is found in the growing points of emerging pitchers and in aging pitchers as they start to senesce. Because of this, the plant cannot be described as an anthocyanin-free plant (or green mutant, as erroneously reported by D’Amato (1998, page 82).

The yellow-flowered Sarracenia leucophylla was originally collected by Donald Schnell during the summer of 1972. At the time of this collection the plant was not in flower; presumably the intense white colouration of the plant’s leaves attracted his attention. Schnell sent a piece of the plant to Steven Clemesha in Australia, who adjusted its growth habit to southern hemisphere seasons, and grew the plant to maturity. It was not until the plant flowered in September 1974 that Clemesha discovered that the plant also produced a pure yellow flower (Clemesha, 1999, personal communication).

Some years later Martin Cheek obtained plants from Clemesha, propagated them, and offered specimens for sale with the unregistered name of “Schnell’s Ghost”. At the time Martin produced a catalogue of plants which contained a full description of the cultivar (Cheek, 1990, page 2).

Although references to this plant’s “very pale ghost-like qualities” were made in private correspondence as early as 1972 (Clemesha, 1999, personal communication), the first printed reference to its “ghost-like” qualities was in Schnell (1989):

“The pitcher top is so pale and the lack of red venation gives the plant an almost ghost-like appearance and it stands out readily in a stand of typical plants, even when not in yellow flower. This plant bore a yellow flower the following spring in cultivation….”

In the early 1990s Alan Hindle, a grower and collector of Sarracenia forms in the UK, began selling a yellow-flowered S. leucophylla. Alan Hindle received his original stock from Bruce Bednar in the USA, so this plant subsequently became known among UK growers as the “Bednar clone”. Bednar reported that he obtained his plant from Clemesha in Australia, so the “Bednar clone” is the same plant as the “Schnell’s Ghost” plant (Bednar, 1999, personal communication). Other unestablished names that have been used to label this S. leucophylla plant include “Alba” and “Yellow Flower”.
Several other distinct clones of the species with yellow flowers have subsequently been found. For instance, there is at least one clone from the Citronelle region in southern Alabama. The plants are again characterised by having predominantly white colouration in the lid and upper pitcher, and a yellow flower. I am registering the cultivar name Sarracenia leucophylla ‘Schnell’s Ghost’, which should be applied to all clones of the species with yellow flowers and predominantly white coloured lids and upper pitchers. Since seed from self-pollinated individuals of this clone breed true (and presumably between different clones of this cultivar), Sarracenia leucophylla ‘Schnell’s Ghost’ may be propagated both asexually from cuttings and sexually from seed, as long as the cultivar characters are maintained.

As mentioned above, Sarracenia leucophylla ‘Schnell’s Ghost’ does have some red pigmentation in the growing points. In contrast, collections of Sarracenia leucophylla plants completely lacking anthocyanin have been reported (Sheridan & Scholl, 1996). The cultivar description of Sarracenia leucophylla ‘Schnell’s Ghost’ does not include these plants. I am happy to report that, despite fears that Sarracenia ‘Schnell’s Ghost’ had become extinct (Rice, 2000), it is quite alive both in England and in the USA.

PHIL WILSON

Nepenthes ‘Scarlet Splash’

Submitted April 23, 2001

Nepenthes ‘Scarlet Splash’ is a variegated hybrid. From its appearance, I think it is probably a clone of Nepenthes x coccinea, ((Nepenthes rafflesiana x Nepenthes ampullaria) x Nepenthes mirabilis). It is distinguished by its yellow variegated foliage. The pattern of variegation appears mostly as longitudinal stripes centered along the leaf-blade midrib. The dark green leaves, decorated with patterns of pale green and light yellow variegation are striking, especially when red highlights also appear in the leaves. The pitcher lids and parts of the pitcher body may also be variegated. Nepenthes ‘Scarlet Splash’ has scarlet pitchers which measure 10 cm long on average (4 inches), and have a deltoid, red and green striped peristome which is about 1.2 cm (0.5 inch) wide. The oval lid is slightly domed with a small keel.

The plant was found in a collection in Europe in the late 1980s, and was given to Dennis Cathcart in Sarasota Florida. He then gave it to me. I am describing the cultivar with Dennis’s approval.

This cultivar may only be reproduced by vegetative means in order to maintain the character and details of the cultivar’s variegation. The cultivar epithet is intended to be a descriptive adaptation of the common name for Nepenthes x coccinea, “scarlet pitcher plant.”

STEPHAN J. HINKSON

Utricularia ‘Asenath Waite’

Submitted April 30, 2001

The marvelous species Utricularia calycifida has yielded a number of cultivars (Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 29:1, p.14, 2000). This is because a number of strikingly different flower types are in cultivation. The attractive leaf venation is an added bonus. Despite my early failures in cross-pollinating the different cultivars (Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 22:3, p.56, 1993), I have made many intraspecific crosses using my Utricularia calycifida and have developed some interesting plants. While the majority of the seedlings are almost indistinguishable from one parent or the other, approximately one out of fifteen crosses show a seedling with interesting new characteristics. Even so, after all the crosses I have made, only one plant has shown characters worthy of cultivar designation. This is the new cultivar, Utricularia ‘Asenath Waite’.

Utricularia ‘Asenath Waite’ resulted from a cross I made in 2000 between Utricularia ‘Lavinia Whateley’ (seed parent) and Utricularia ‘Mrs. Marsh’. Interestingly, Utricularia ‘Asenath Waite’ has prominent purple leaf venation absent in both its parents. The flowers of this new cultivar are distinctive. The corolla lips are large and have a lovely blue-lilac blush. The lower lip has a large palate bulge with a yellow splotch at the crest. The rest of the palate bulge is covered with spots similar to those on Utricularia ‘Mrs. Marsh’, but much bolder.

Utricularia ‘Asenath Waite’ should only be propagated by vegetative means. There is no guarantee that seed progeny would maintain the characters of this cultivar. Furthermore, many Utricularia calycifida plants grown from seed are slow growing. In contrast, the highly vigorous nature of Utricularia ‘Asenath Waite’ in cultivation was the final criterion I demanded when breeding superior plants for cultivar status.

Utricularia ‘Asenath Waite’ will first be offered to the public at the annual October plant sale at UC Davis (California). After that, it will be provided to various carnivorous plant nurseries. It may be possible to obtain the cultivar directly from me.

The cultivar name was nominated and submitted for registration by me on 30 April (Walpurgis Day), 2001. The cultivar epithet notes a witch noted in the story, “The Thing on the Doorstep,” by H.P. Lovecraft. Asenath Waite shared many physical characteristics of her ancestor Mrs. Marsh of Innsmouth. Asenath also had an interesting propensity for shallow plantings in soft soils. Additional photos may be seen archived at http://www.sarracenia.com.

BARRY RICE

Dionaea ‘Jaws’

Submitted October 20,1999

This plant is the result of the breeding program at California State University, Fullerton. On 3 June 1993, I crossed Dionaea ‘Dentate Traps’ (see Carniv. Pl. Newslett. 29, p16), a wild-collected plant with its marginal tentacles mutated into short teeth, with a plant we grow which is noteworthy for its consistently extra large, moderately red-colored traps. This plant was selected from the seedlings. The margins of the trap are dentate like the pollen parent. Like the seed parent, the traps are consistently large, with good coloration. The plant is vigorous and even though the traps do not have normal cilia, they do trap insects. Other siblings are being evaluated.

The cultivar epithet, ‘Jaws’, is named for the remarkable shark-like aspect of the partially closed traps. The cultivar name was inspired by the movie “Jaws”, and refers to the large traps and the form of their marginal spines; I nominated this name in (approximately) 1995, and it was submitted for registration by Barry Rice on 20 October 1999. The preferred method of propagating this plant is by vegetative means, in order to maintain the characters of the teeth and traps.

LEO SONG, JR.

Sarracenia ‘Hummer's Hammerhead’

Submitted December 1, 1999

This plant has the parentage Sarracenia (psittacina x alabamensis) x alabamensis, and is a very vigorous grower. Its outstanding features are best noted in the late season, autumnal leaves which are unmistakable. (Early season leaves show much less pronounced features.) This plant is particularly notable for the upright, pubescent leaves, which together with the bright coloration of yellow gold and numerous areolae and bright red venation throughout. Most striking is the elongated, flattened, and somewhat downwards pointing hood. The plant is overall quite compact, since the pitchers are usually 10-20cm (4-8 inches) in length. The flower petals are deep red, and contrast nicely with the bright golden pitcher leaves. In order to maintain these characters, this cultivar should be propagated vegetatively.

I developed this cultivar in May 1992. The name was coined in 1996 by Bill McLaughlin. The cultivar name notes the peculiar shape of the pitcher hood.

JOHN HUMMER

Sarracenia ‘John's Autumnal Splendor’

Submitted December 1, 1999

This plant has the parentage Sarracenia jonesii x alabamensis. The plant is a fairly robust grower with leaves averaging 25-50 cm (10-20 inches) in length and which are slightly pubescent. The hood is undulate and often pointed at the tip. The leaf coloration varies according to the intensity of sunlight it is grown in. The lower third of the leaf is green with some red venation. The upper two-thirds of the leaf exhibit deep red color throughout, and venation that tends towards golden yellow on and around the hood. This results in a striking effect when seen from a distance. Specimens growing in full sun, and undisturbed for years can become a deep maroon throughout, with only a hint of yellow-gold here and there. Flower petals are a deep maroon color. In order to maintain the complex cultivar characters, this cultivar should be propagated vegetatively.

I developed this cultivar in the 1980s. I coined the name in 1988. The cultivar name notes the beautiful gold and brown colors in the fall leaves.

JOHN HUMMER

Sarracenia ‘Hummer's Okee Classic’

Submitted April 7, 1999

This plant is a cross between a Sarracenia alabamensis and a Sarracenia minor ‘Okee Giant’. The hybrid is a fairly robust grower with pubescent leaves that reach 30 cm (12 inches) or more in height. The hood of the leaf is distinctly convex, and is maroon in color when grown in full sunlight. The leaf tube is a melange of green and gold, with the upper rear third of the pitcher leaf exhibiting numerous areolae. These areolae are distinctly veined with red pigment. The flower petals are showy, with pastels of both red and yellow blended together. In order to maintain the complex cultivar characters, this cultivar should be propagated vegetatively.

I developed this cultivar in 1991 and coined the name on 6 April 1999. The cultivar name refers to the obvious influence of the pollen parent.

JOHN HUMMER

Sarracenia ‘Super Green Giant’

Submitted November 18, 1999

This Sarracenia (psittacina x jonesii) x rubra subsp. gulfensis is notable because all of its parent plants are anthocyanin-free. The plant is entirely anthocyanin-free, a robust grower, and upright. The hood is convex with a rounded appearance. The pitcher leaves are gently curving, and areolae are present on the rear upper third of the pitcher leaf. Pitcher leaves are 20-30 cm (8-12 inches) or more in height. The flower petals are green. In order to maintain the complex cultivar characters, this cultivar should be propagated vegetatively.

I developed this plant in the 1990s and nominated it on 18 November 1999. The cultivar name refers to the large size and green color of the plant.

JOHN HUMMER

Sarracenia ‘Golden-Red Jubilee’

Submitted December 24, 2000

This plant has a cross between Sarracenia jonesii and Sarracenia alabamensis. While this is the same parentage as my cultivar Sarracenia ‘John’s Autumnal Splendor’, the Sarracenia jonesii parent is from a different location, and the two cultivars are different in overall effect.

While always an attractive plant, this plant really shows off in the late summer and autumn--the leaves have heavy, dark venation set against a deeply golden background. The dramatic leaves, glowing in the late afternoon sun of October, give the plant the notice and prestige it deserves! These leaves are erect, 20-35 cm (8-14 inches) in height, and bear almost oversized lids with slightly undulating margins. The flower petals are very dark maroon, as expected for this cross.

In order to maintain these characters, this cultivar should be propagated vegetatively.
I developed this cultivar in May 1997. I coined the name 27 December 2000. The cultivar name notes the nice coloration and pattern of the mature plants, late in the season.

JOHN HUMMER

Sarracenia ‘Green Rosette’

Submitted December 24, 2001

This cultivar name applies to anthocyanin-free clones of Sarracenia psittacina. The one shown in the photograph was originally collected from Gulf County, Florida. This specimen is fairly robust and readily produces clonal offsets. It also selfs well and produces many seed which germinate readily after a four week stratification period. As expected for an anthocyanin-free variant of this species, it is entirely green except for the numerous white areolae. The flower petals are a creme-yellow.

In order to maintain the primary cultivar characteristic of being anthocyanin-free, this cultivar should be propagated either vegetatively, or by crossing two anthocyanin-free Sarracenia psittacina parents.

I selected this cultivar in May 1988. I coined the name 27 December 2000. The cultivar name refers to the anthocyanin-free form of the plant.

JOHN HUMMER

Sarracenia ‘Harvest of Gold’

Submitted December 24, 2001

This plant has a cross between Sarracenia alabamensis and Sarracenia rubra subsp. gulfensis. The leaves are pubescent, 20-30 cm (8-12 inches) in height, and the leaf hoods are undulate. The cultivar’s showiest leaves are produced in the summer to early fall. These show traits of both parents--there is a pronounced darkened gold background color to the pitchers, enhanced by distinct vertical red venation throughout the leaf. These characteristics are much less obvious in the spring or early summer leaves. The flowers have deep maroon petals.

In order to maintain these characters, this cultivar should be propagated vegetatively. This is easy because it is a robust grower and forms clonal offsets readily.

I developed this cultivar in April 1988. I coined the name 11 April 1999. The cultivar name notes the attractive golden and red colors that are expressed most strikingly during the fall.

JOHN HUMMER