Carnivorous Plant Clone Wiki
Awaiting Mike's review. This entry was AI-extracted from forum posts. Treat specifics as a working draft until reviewed.

sarracenia alata var. rubrioperculata

Sarracenia alata var. rubrioperculata Perry Co, MS — population

Perry Co, MS

First described
2012
Type
population multi clone locality

Origin

Wild-source alata population from Perry Co, MS. Includes the well-known 'robin-hood'-lid phenotype (kiwiearl's super-clone is the canonical example). Mike's collection has multiple clones from the locality; one possible robin-hood individual was a runt in 2012.

History

  • 2012-05-16 — Mike's first thread post; references kiwiearl's earlier alata-board thread for context
  • 2012-07 to 2012-09 — color developing through the season
  • 2012-12 — winter pitchers documented
  • 2013-06-16 — Rob Co's greenhouse-grown same-clone shows redder-than-Mike's-outdoor presentation
  • 2013-10-08 — Mike post #13: introduces the var.-name critique: "are these fancy names valid?" — same plant under greenhouse looks nigropurpurea, outdoor looks rubrioperculata
  • 2015-07 — corey216 asks about 'Purple Helmet' identity
  • 2020-11-19 — Mike post #24: "what do you call a plant that's rubrioperculata during the grow season, but during late fall, turns solid red like an atrorubra?" — Stewie & Donnie 2011 nomenclature critique escalation
  • 2022-07-18 — most recent Mike-post update

Standout traits

  • Outstanding rubrioperculata expression (red extending into throat)
  • 'Robin-hood' lid clones in the wider population
  • Vigorous, fast-dividing alata
  • Phenotype-flexibility undermines the 2011 sub-varietal nomenclature
  • Trap-shape similarity to S. jonesii — possible historic genetic link

Cultivation notes

Outdoor Northern California for Mike. Slightly rot-prone for him. Greenhouse conditions intensify red coloration even in early summer.

Photos

Eight Mike-source photos imported, 2012-2022. See photos[].

Standout traits

  • Red under lid extending into throat — exceptional rubrioperculata expression
  • 'Robin-hood' lid morphology in some clones (kiwiearl: 'super-clone' from this population)
  • Phenotype-flexible: rubrioperculata in summer, atrorubra-like (solid red) in late fall — challenges varietal nomenclature
  • Vigorous, exponential growth-point production (kiwiearl, post #14)
  • Visual similarity to S. jonesii Greenville Co SC (mbfmark, post #6) — Mike notes possible historic genetic relationship between alata and jonesii populations

Cultivation

Outdoor Northern California. Mike (post #5) reports the clones are slightly prone to rot in his conditions, vigor is normal-to-fast for alata. Possible robin-hood individual in his collection was a runt in 2012; Mike speculates it might catch up later in maturity. Greenhouse cultivation produces redder traps even in early summer (Rob Co's greenhouse-grown plants, 2013-06-16).

Photos (8)

Perry Co alata population, 2012-05-16— Mike Wang
2012-07-23 update— Mike Wang
2012-09-05 — color developing— Mike Wang
Outdoor rubrioperculata expression, 2013-10-06— Mike Wang
Spectacular fall color, 2013-10-06— Mike Wang
2013-10-25 photo set— Mike Wang
2020-11-11 — late-fall solid-red atrorubra-like presentation— Mike Wang
2022-07-18— Mike Wang

Naming

Var. rubrioperculata = "red-under-lid" varietal designator (Stewie & Donnie 2011 publication). The Perry Co population shows the trait exceptionally well — red extends from under the lid into the throat. However: Mike (post #24, 2020-11-19) explicitly questions the "fancy names" — same population can present as rubrioperculata in summer and atrorubra (solid red) in late fall.