Butterwort

Day 245: The space of a week saw the Butterwort (Pinguicula vulgaris) go from bud to lavish blossom in its isolated niche in a wet rock wall. This little carnivore is rare in the Park and elsewhere. I know that it occurs in at least one other area, but unfortunately, that location is at one of the furthest possible removes from my home. It's not that it's distant geographically. In fact, if this Crow could fly, it's less than twenty miles, but to make the connections by car, it's close to a three-hour drive. In this photo, the foliage on the right belongs to a different plant. The insect husks on the paler green leaves on the left mark the foliage of the hungry Butterwort.

Pinguicula Vulgaris, Butterwort

Day 233: We tend to think of carnivorous plants as things which live in mysterious tropical forests, influenced (I am certain) by fanciful fiction, cartoons and suchlike, but there are a number of species suited to the cooler climates of the northern latitudes. In fact, we have a few right here in the Pacific Northwest. Pinguicula vulgaris (Butterwort) prefers a habitat of year-'round moisture and indirect light, an environment likewise enjoyed by its prey, gnats and mosquitoes. Its leaves secrete a sticky substance which attracts insects. A second type of specialized gland in its foliage exudes a digestive enzyme which breaks down the soft parts of the bugs into a form the plant can utilize as nutrients. Even when not in bloom, the plant can be recognized by its yellow-green, fleshy leaves which are often speckled with the indigestible remains of its food. Currently, Pinguicula is listed as "Threatened and Endangered" in four states: Maine, New Hampshire, New York and Wisconsin. It should be considered rare in all other localities.

Pinguicula Vulgaris - Butterwort

Day 236: Another score for "Team Biota" and a life-list species for me, a thriving colony of Butterwort was growing on a rock wall over which a steady drip of water was falling. Ten feet above it, we spotted another solitary plant, its yellow leaves and single blue flower the only other evidence of the species at the site. If not considered rare in the catalogue of Mount Rainier flora, Pinguicula vulgaris has been classified as "review - group 1" per "The Endangered, Threatened and Sensitive Vascular Plants of Washington" (2014) and is reported to occur in only a few places in the Park. This location was not one of the ones on record for the species.

Pinguicula is an insectivore. Tiny, specialized glands on the upper surfaces of its leaves exude a sticky/slimy substance which traps insects. The hapless mosquito or gnat which becomes ensnared in the goo is then digested by enzymes contained in another type of gland. Husks of former meals are often found on the leaves of Butterwort.