Over the years a few observations on S. oreophila, a plant that behaves like few other pitcher plants. Mostly I just want to talk about the coloration aspect of the plant. Lets start with a few examples:
1.) A plant given to me by Joe Mazrimas, co-founder of the ICPS and CPN, was termed all green. Growing points were red so it was not anthocyanin free. Just the same, this plant was in Joe's greenhouse for many years, without so much as one small vein. It received about 4 to 5 hrs of sun per day, and retained a bright, crisp, lettuce green. I asked for a peice of this specimen, and Joe, being the kind soul he is, gave me a good sized piece of rhizome. I brought it home knowing that it only had about a month left before dormancy. It now lived in 9 hours of sunlight. Before the month was out, light red veins appeared in the hood.
The following year, it was covered with red veins, though moderately so. 9 hrs. of sun made it look nice! The collection was moved in February, 2006 to an area getting 14 hrs direct sun per day. When the first leaf came up and opened, BAM! Suddenly we became heavily veined with bright red veins, and developed a beautiful red flush over the plant. It was then I found out its locale. Towns County, Ga. I also asked Joe, "Do your red tubes turn red in this shaded greenhouse?" He advised me they indeed did, and outside in bright sun, or inside his greenhouse, they gradually came to all red within a certain length of time. 4 hours a day= green s. oreophila. 9 hours a day= moderate veining in red. 14 hours a day= Heavily veined, and red flushed. Same plant, different lengths of time in sunlight, different results. If I gave it 4 hours again, shaded the rest of the day, I would end up with an all green again. Whereas, my S. f. var. rubricorpora would gradually darken to all red as it was supposed to.
2.) Another clone, Ron Lanes clone #2, came to me described as lightly veined. In my all day sun environment, it went from light to moderate/heavy veins and was quite the showoff! Ron reported to me it grew the same way year after year, in the same spot, roughly 7 hours of sun, lighly veined. In my area, the sun hit one place in my yard for up to 14 hours. According to how much sun it got, seemed to transfer to how much color it could produce in that particular clone. Ron's other clone, #1, did the same thing. From Light veins to moderate veining, and purple. Clone #2 took on purple in the throat. Ron thought it was mismarked because it didn't look like his own clone #2. So he moved his S. oreophila clone #2 into a sunnier location, and the same started to happen to him. More veins appeared given the amount of light it received. Now in a way this is very strange because most S. f. var. rubricorpora will go red in only 4 hours of direct sun. Well, anyway, mine do. But S. oreophila will only get as much veining as sun is given. Some won't change because that's the way it is with genetics. But most of the s. oreophila here, have lived here for a while, and haven't been disturbed, just watered, the only change was from 8 hours of direct light per day, to 14. The changes have been outrageous! As they settle into the new growing spot, I can only imagine what they will end up looking like later this season. I wonder how many do have more to show in the color and beauty of S. oreophila in this little backyard peace of heaven.
#.) Getting tired of poking thse keys. Suffice it to say, observation, experimentation, much light, little light, can garner a big difference in the overall appearance of this species.
1.) A plant given to me by Joe Mazrimas, co-founder of the ICPS and CPN, was termed all green. Growing points were red so it was not anthocyanin free. Just the same, this plant was in Joe's greenhouse for many years, without so much as one small vein. It received about 4 to 5 hrs of sun per day, and retained a bright, crisp, lettuce green. I asked for a peice of this specimen, and Joe, being the kind soul he is, gave me a good sized piece of rhizome. I brought it home knowing that it only had about a month left before dormancy. It now lived in 9 hours of sunlight. Before the month was out, light red veins appeared in the hood.
The following year, it was covered with red veins, though moderately so. 9 hrs. of sun made it look nice! The collection was moved in February, 2006 to an area getting 14 hrs direct sun per day. When the first leaf came up and opened, BAM! Suddenly we became heavily veined with bright red veins, and developed a beautiful red flush over the plant. It was then I found out its locale. Towns County, Ga. I also asked Joe, "Do your red tubes turn red in this shaded greenhouse?" He advised me they indeed did, and outside in bright sun, or inside his greenhouse, they gradually came to all red within a certain length of time. 4 hours a day= green s. oreophila. 9 hours a day= moderate veining in red. 14 hours a day= Heavily veined, and red flushed. Same plant, different lengths of time in sunlight, different results. If I gave it 4 hours again, shaded the rest of the day, I would end up with an all green again. Whereas, my S. f. var. rubricorpora would gradually darken to all red as it was supposed to.
2.) Another clone, Ron Lanes clone #2, came to me described as lightly veined. In my all day sun environment, it went from light to moderate/heavy veins and was quite the showoff! Ron reported to me it grew the same way year after year, in the same spot, roughly 7 hours of sun, lighly veined. In my area, the sun hit one place in my yard for up to 14 hours. According to how much sun it got, seemed to transfer to how much color it could produce in that particular clone. Ron's other clone, #1, did the same thing. From Light veins to moderate veining, and purple. Clone #2 took on purple in the throat. Ron thought it was mismarked because it didn't look like his own clone #2. So he moved his S. oreophila clone #2 into a sunnier location, and the same started to happen to him. More veins appeared given the amount of light it received. Now in a way this is very strange because most S. f. var. rubricorpora will go red in only 4 hours of direct sun. Well, anyway, mine do. But S. oreophila will only get as much veining as sun is given. Some won't change because that's the way it is with genetics. But most of the s. oreophila here, have lived here for a while, and haven't been disturbed, just watered, the only change was from 8 hours of direct light per day, to 14. The changes have been outrageous! As they settle into the new growing spot, I can only imagine what they will end up looking like later this season. I wonder how many do have more to show in the color and beauty of S. oreophila in this little backyard peace of heaven.
#.) Getting tired of poking thse keys. Suffice it to say, observation, experimentation, much light, little light, can garner a big difference in the overall appearance of this species.