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 flava var. maxima

Sarracenia flava var. maxima Cartaret Co, NC

Cartaret Co, NC

First described
2012
Type
individual clone historic population

Origin

Wild-origin in Cartaret Co, NC. Mike's introduction (post #1, 2012-05-06) describes the plant as tall and shapely; subsequent updates 2018-2024 develop the more substantive observations.

History

  • 2018-07 — Mike reframes maxima taxonomy: "chameleon" maximas produce veins in the throat under poor conditions but go fully green under best conditions; this Cartaret clone is not chameleon — pure green throat consistently.
  • 2021-07 — Mike: "I'm almost positive this population in general from Cartaret Co, NC has rubra mixed in it many generations ago."
  • 2021-09 — late-season trap durability documented; "this is the reason why I think rubra ssp. rubra has been mixed in" (combined with trap shape).
  • 2022-12 — winter retention evidence: traps still present while most flavas in the collection are completely brown; only rubras and alatas in Mike's collection look pristine in early December.
  • 2024-06 → 2024-07 — recent updates show traps yellowing as they age.

Standout traits

  • Tall, forward-leaning columns with wide hoods (population trait per kiwiearl, post #9)
  • Pure green throat — no red pigments at any time in the season, even under stress
  • Late-season durability into fall and early winter
  • (Hypothesis) historic rubra introgression at the population level

Cultivation notes

Outdoor Northern California. Repotting overdue by 2018 ("repotted about 5 years ago" — i.e., last repotted ~2013). No specific heat/cold/rot caveats in the thread.

Photos

Eight Mike-source photos imported, 2012-2024. See photos[].

Standout traits

  • Tall, shapely pitchers
  • Pure green throat — no red pigments even when stressed (rare among 'maxima' clones, many of which are 'chameleon' and produce veins in unfavorable conditions)
  • Forward-leaning columns with wide hoods, short — kiwiearl notes this is a Cartaret-population trait
  • Late-season trap durability — the population holds traps into fall when other flavas have browned (~early October)
  • Suspected historic rubra introgression at the population level (Mike's hypothesis)

Cultivation

Outdoor Northern California. Mike notes plants needed transplanting in 2018 ('about 5 years ago' post #11). Slow-feeling growth resolved with fresh substrate. The population's trap-retention trait makes it a late-season feature in the collection.

Photos (8)

Cartaret maxima, 2012-05— Mike Wang
2012-07-23— Mike Wang
2018-07-31 — peculiar trap shape— Mike Wang
Throat detail showing absence of red pigments, 2018-07— Mike Wang
2021-09-15 — late-season trap retention— Mike Wang
2022-12-05 — winter trap retention vs. browned-out neighbors— Mike Wang
2024-06-04— Mike Wang
2024-07-16 — yellowed-up aging traps— Mike Wang

Naming

Locality name. 'Maxima' = the var. designation for green/no-red-throat flavas (Mike post #9, 2018: "Maximas in general are defined by no red pigments in the throat of the trap"). This particular Cartaret clone is a non-chameleon maxima — never produces red veins in the throat, even when stressed.