Day 254: Pinguicula vulgaris (Butterwort) is not a new plant for my list, but it is one I monitor because it is relatively uncommon. It is insectivorous. It snares and digests its prey via secretions from two different types of specialized glands within its tongue-like basal leaves (the yellow-green foliage in the center of this photo). These glands also produce a bactericide which slows the decay process, allowing Butterwort to dine at leisure on the nutrients it extracts from small insects. It prefers a consistently damp environment such as the one shown here: a vertical rock face which drips continuously even in late summer. As you might imagine, some sacrifices of comfort were required to obtain this photo. Sodden sleeves and wet knees are just a few of the occupational hazards appurtenant to botany.
No comments:
Post a Comment