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Pinguicula filifolia

Crissytal

What is and what should never be
This one isn't seen too much: Pinguicula filifolia

filifolia.jpg
 
Amazing Crystal!
 
Looks like a baby medusina, but that plants FLOWERING!
 
NICE!!Kinda look like D.filiformmis but with bolder leaves
 
beautiful!
 
Thanks for the comments everyone.

ieat100s: it does somewhat look like P. medusina. They are very different plants though.

marvin1997: that's where its name comes from :).

Anyone know of any good ways to propagate them? I have tried leaf pullings, those have failed. It's not uncommon for pullings to fail for me the first time around though, especially on new and stressed plants. I plan to try again. Getting seed seems to be a challenge. I'm going to try anyway though.
 
I found one of these for sale online. Is it a difficult plant to grow? How do you grow it?
 
So far it hasn't been difficult. It has to be warm and humid at all times. The soil should also never dry out. I'm growing mine in a peat/perlite/vermiculite/sand mix. No particular amounts of anything, whatever looked good at the time. I would recommend a mostly peat based mix for this species. The APS or perlite/vermiculite mixes that I normally recommend would dry out too quickly. This isn't a Mexi Ping and must be kept moist. Mine stands in a bit of water at all times (about 1/4").

To keep mine humid, I actually have them bagged. I cut a couple slits in the top of a small sandwich bag and put it over the top. The plan was to slowly acclimate it to my conditions to see how well it would do in lower humidity. It is trying to flower now, so I'll wait. I'd like to get seeds if it's possible.
 
  • #10
Does it go through a dormancy period? I've thought about getting P. Gypsicola, but that stays in a succulent stage most of the year. And I've thought about getting P. Medusina, but that "hibernates" as a bulb under the ground.

It looks like P. Filifolia has the appearance of the two species I just named, but if it grows year round, that would be fantastic.
 
  • #11
It's from Cuba. I haven't seen anything stating there is a dormancy. I believe it is actually an annual. Someone please correct me if I am wrong. Temperatures should never drop below 68F (20C). This will kill the plant. Apparently temps around 104F will cause the plant to multiple fairly quickly via clumps.

Edit: Perhaps not a true annual, but seems short lived in cultivation. Berry Rice's site states he kept his only for two years before it died.
 
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  • #12
It's from Cuba. I haven't seen anything stating there is a dormancy. I believe it is actually an annual. Someone please correct me if I am wrong. Temperatures should never drop below 68F (20C). This will kill the plant. Apparently temps around 104F will cause the plant to multiple fairly quickly via clumps.

Edit: Perhaps not a true annual, but seems short lived in cultivation. Berry Rice's site states he kept his only for two years before it died.


Hmm. That suddenly turned me off them. They look really cool, but they appear to be short lived. On top of that, it's difficult to reproduce them.

I might get a Gypsicola instead.
 
  • #13
They are proving to be difficult to reproduce. As far as how long they are lived, that's only what I have read online. I've only had mine for a month or so. They produce toxins as well. When they are TCed, they will turn the media yellow/orange/brown. When it reaches brown they will die if not transferred soon to new media. I thought that was pretty cool. I don't know what purpose that would serve in nature; perhaps some kind of pest repellent.

P. gypsicolas are cool. Just don't keep them too wet when they are dormant. P. medusina are annoying. Mine has been dormant for close to a year now I think. I was only able to enjoy it for about a week.
 
  • #14
Tell you what, I think I'll get a Pinguicula Agnata "El lobo" instead. It's cheaper than the other species, and it stays carnivorous year round. I think that might be a better choice for me.
 
  • #15
COOL! This is one of my favorite pings. However, I have read that it is hard to grow. (On Barry Rice's FAQ, it says that this species is short lived, and cuttings/selfing don't work. He also commented that he ended up growing it for about two years, then having the plant die).
 
  • #16
Except production of seed, another way of inducing clamps it to make plant suffering very hot conditions (45 °C at least).

Using this way, a friend of mine in Australia, in his greenhouse produced hundreds of plants.

Hq11.jpg


To produce seeds (autopollination possible), pollen must be dry but the plant must be kept wet !
He produced seeds in terrarium with water at the basis , to have the leaves wet and the flowers were produced near the fluo lights in drier conditions.

Production of toxin can be prevented in "natural" conditions by regular watering from top to down (once a week).
In TC, the only way is to change the plant on new media as soon as the media turn yellowish/brownish.
 
  • #17
Thanks epbb. Speaking of which, does this plant rot easily in hot, wet conditions (like mexican pinguicula)?


By the way, your website is great. One of the best! :)
 
  • #18
It is a Cuban species that in its habitat, a savanah can suffer hot temperature but it grow among grasses and the flower are over the top of the grasses (hence the need of a drier air for the flower and pollen for pollinating).
Cool temperature can let the plant to rot easely.
 
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