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Identify that cultivar?

I just picked up a new VFT at Wally-world. Had to save it (and the 3!!! plantlets in the pot) from Wally-heaven.

It's from Nurseryman's Exchange. It actually isn't a "typical" VFT, and I could use a hand figuring out what sort it may be!

Leaves and outside of traps are green, inside of traps are completely bright red, and the 'lashes' on the traps are short, like a 'Dente' or 'Dentata'. I was particulary impressed with the depth of the trap color particularly since the light it was in was so crummy. My 'typicals' are much more pinkish.

I will try to post a picture as soon as I can borrow a digital from one of my friends!
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The ones I've been seeing at Wal-mart are dente. I've never seen any with bright red traps though.
 
Maybe they weren't on the shelf long enough to fade and wilt.
 
This brings up another question of mine... Do mature traps that have faded or grown under poor light regain full color when placed in good light, or do you need to wait for new traps to appear to see 'proper' coloration?

I have one I always assumed was a 'typical' because I rescued it from among other 'typicals' about a month ago, but it has shown not a drop of red or pink anywhere... The plant overall has regained a bright healthy green, but still no red/pink. It is starting to put out new traps, and I'm waiting to see if those traps have any color...

If not, I may have accidentally found a heterodoxa! Although it isn't rosetted right now... It's growing long skinny summer petioles, which I didn't think heterodoxa did!
 
A typical venus fly trap I rescued from Wal-mart was all green when I got it. It's only been like 12 days and it's starting to get some red in it. It's doing very well now that it's been given the proper conditions (Full sun, pure water).

Maybe yours isn't getting enough direct sun?
 
I have them under grow lights (I'm an apartment dweller, so no outside, sorry.) But light may yet be a problem. I had it under 2 18" grow-lights, to which I added a 48" 2-bulb fixture a few days ago (so now under 4 bulbs). We'll see if it's color improves more over the next couple of weeks.

Hopefully next month the 2 18" bulbs will be replaced by a second 48" fixture.
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Don't have a patio or anything? These plants really love full sun. I don't know anything about artificial grow lights.
 
  • #10
I do have a patio, but it is shady, and I have also lost some things out there... They apparently grew legs and walked away while I was at work. So the only things I have out there now are a potting bench and grill that are chained down and a whiskey barrel of aloe that is too heavy to move.

In order to get the VTFs into full sun outside, I would have to sit them in the grass, off my patio, and then they would probably either get stolen, or the lawn service might run them over.
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They damaged the last pot (plastic) I had the aloe in with their weed-whacker, hence the move to a heavier whiskey barrel.

I'm considering wintering the VTFs on the potting bench this fall as I doubt anyone would want to take ugly dead-looking plants and we have mild winters here. But I don't dare leave pretty, healthy CPs out there to the abuse.
 
  • #11
Finally got back a picture of my mystery cultivar! I know the color is rather sickly on the poor thing, but I took that photo the day after the "Wally-world" rescue. The plantlets it produced are healthier than it is...
DI003.jpg

That trap is about 1/2" long, and on a summer petiole 2-1/2" long, to give you an idea of size/proportion...
 
  • #12
May be a dente form once called jaws. However, VFT cultivars are not my forte' though raising them is easy. Sunlight plays a large role in how they color up, but it is not necessarily full sun on the plant that brings the color out.
 
  • #13
With more research I have to agree with both Bugweed and Mannex! It is probably either 'Jaws' or 'Red Pirahna'. Both are members of the 'Dentate Traps' cultivar group. But I really can't tell which yet, and the cultivar descriptions on the ICPS site aren't detailed enough to tell them apart.

Anyone know where there is a good photo reference for either or both of these cultivars? Being a visual person, I really appreciate good photos!
 
  • #15
Wow! Great link, thanks, BobZ!

After looking over the TONS of photos linked to on that site, I will conclude my VFT is a 'Jaws'. 'Red Pirahna' has red petioles, which mine has not shown at all. And 'Sharks Teeth' while a theoretical option, shows so much variability in the posted photos, I got the idea it isn't really very well standardized, but generally has longer 'teeth' on the traps than mine has.

Thanks a ton, all! And BTW, although the trap I photographed died, new traps with a much healthier look are now emerging, so I think it survived it's ordeal in Wally-heck. Yeah! All three plantlets look good as well.
 
  • #16
I'm pretty much near 100% that it is a dente, Jaws is still a plant that is spread around by growers and not mass produced in nusery's. Still a great find though!
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  • #17
Really? I was under the impression that 'Dente' was more pink in trap coloration, and the photos I looked at seemed to support it... Do 'Dente' traps really get that red? Even with the sickly coloration it was still a bright red. I wasn't aware the 'Jaws' cultivar wasn't widespread.
 
  • #18
What you've got there is a 'Dente'. They typically do turn very deep cherry red when grown properly. Photos you have seen of 'Dente' with pinkish traps have not been grown in strong enough light and/or with the correct temperatures. The 'Jaws' cultivar, developed by Leo Song, is not being releaed en mass by Walmart or some of the other big chains. They typically purchase what is cheaper, more common and easily accessible which 'Dente' is.

Phil
 
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