- First described
- 2012
- Type
- single clone locality
Origin
This is the standard cultivation-distributed anthocyanin-free S. alata from Washington Co, AL — wild-collected (collector unnamed in this thread) along a state highway. The wild site was being shaded out by encroaching canopy and required burn/clearing to persist (Mike, post #1, 2012). Subsequent reports through Jim Miller / jlechtm (post #9, 2013) describe road construction "for miles" near the locality, putting the wild population at acute risk.
The clone has been broadly distributed in cultivation by 2014 — Phil Sheridan / Meadowview was producing it for fall 2014 catalog sale (post #12).
History
- 2012-08-05 (post #1): Mike posts the clone, notes risk to the wild site.
- 2012-08-12 (post #3): confirms he selfed the flower for seed.
- 2013-04-14 (post #4): documents the "really short and squat" flower phenotype.
- 2013-04: Mike distributes seed (jasonksepka, post #5: seedlings doing well).
- 2013-09: jlechtm reports road construction near the wild site.
- 2014-07 (post #11): Mike updates with lime-green/yellow color shots; notes how rare AF alatas are in cultivation despite their growth rate.
- 2014-07 (Phil Sheridan, post #12): Meadowview production stock for fall sale.
- 2020 → 2024 annual updates with progressively yellower trap color.
- 2024-07-14 (alexis, post #24-25): adds two new observations — the Mike clone is dwarfish/short and oozes nectar, but selfed offspring grow much larger and produce alata × flava-shaped pitchers, suggesting hidden genetic complexity.
Standout traits
- Anthocyanin-free — pure green/yellow tissue throughout.
- Lemon-yellow trap color under optimal light.
- Compact habit — alexis describes the Mike clone as "almost a dwarf"; selfed seedlings are larger.
- Heavy nectar production — visible "ooze" by mid-summer.
- Self-fertile — generates viable selfed seed.
Cultivation notes
Standard alata regimen — fast-growing once established, comfortable with full sun. Heavy nectar production means the trap exterior may look "shabby" by mid-summer (alexis, 2024) — cosmetic only.
For seed-saving: selfed seedlings phenotype shifts substantially (larger plants, alata × flava-like trap shape), so don't expect F1 selfed offspring to be identical to the parent.
Photos
29 Mike-Wang photos spanning 2013-08 → 2023-06.
Standout traits
- Lemon yellow trap color under optimal light
- Short, squat flower (Mike, post #4, 2013) — characteristic of this clone
- Heavy nectar production — alexis (post #24, 2024): 'oozes nectar', looks shabby come summer
- Possible compact / dwarfish habit per alexis (2024); selfed offspring grow much larger and pitcher-shape resembles alata × flava — suggests recent introgression hidden in this clone (alexis, post #25)
- Vigorous AF — Mike (2013): 'pretty surprising how rare antho free alatas are in cultivation, especially considering how fast they grow'
Cultivation
Self-fertile (Mike, post #3, 2012) — produces viable selfed seed. Mike distributed seed in 2013 (jasonksepka, post #5: seedlings doing well). Phil Sheridan / Meadowview was producing this AF clone for a fall 2014 sale catalog (post #12) — broad cultivation distribution by then.
Selfed seedlings exhibit a markedly different phenotype: alexis reports they grow much larger and produce traps shaped like alata × flava (post #25). This suggests segregating genetic variation within the clone's lineage — possibly recessive AF in a partially heterozygous background.
Photos (29)
Naming
f. viridescens is the standard Sarracenia botanical designation for an anthocyanin-free (AF) form. Mike also refers to this plant informally as "antho free Washington Co, AL alata".