- First described
- 2012
- Type
- single clone classic reference rubricorpora
- Cultivar
- 'Clone T'
Origin and significance
Clone T is part of Mike's Sumatra-area Liberty Co, FL lettered rubricorpora population (cluster C0019). Mike treats Clone T as the reference standard by which other rubricorporas should be compared. Multi-year documentation 2012-2020 confirms its consistency.
The trap-color cycle
Clone T illustrates the rubricorpora-atropurpurea continuum:
- Day 0-14 after opening: bright yellow lid + dark red body — peak visual contrast.
- Day 15-30+: yellow lid darkens to red.
- Aged traps: solid red overall — indistinguishable from atropurpurea.
kiwiearl's framing (post #4): "two varieties in one as the story now goes" — same plant, different cultivar designation depending on when you photograph it.
Mike's 2019 reflection
Mike noted in 2019 that despite the clone's quality and wide distribution, it had been undeservedly under-bred — Mike committed to start breeding work with it that year. Multi-year follow-up on that breeding effort is pending in the wiki.
Standout traits
- Mike's view: 'a standard by which you can compare other rubricorporas to.'
- Solid red body + yellow lid contrast — peak visual impact right when traps open.
- Color cycle: bright yellow lid + dark red body for ~2 weeks after opening, then yellow lid darkens to red, eventually entire trap can become solid red ('what some people would call atropurpurea').
- Multi-year proven performer — documented from 2012 through 2020.
- Mike's 2019 reflection: undeservedly under-bred — most growers have it but breeding work has been minimal.
Cultivation
Color/age cycle in Mike's NorCal climate:
- Day 0-14 after trap opens: bright yellow lid + dark red body — most striking contrast.
- Day 15-30+: yellow lid darkens to red.
- Aged traps: entire trap goes solid red, indistinguishable from atropurpurea.
This cycle illustrates Mike's broader observation that the rubricorpora-atropurpurea distinction is partly age-driven, not purely genetic — "two varieties in one as the story now goes" (kiwiearl, post #4).
Spring 2020 anomaly: traps weren't very red at first emergence (atypical — in previous years the pitchers were red even before opening), then color intensified over a day or two.
Photos (15)
Naming
"Clone T" — Mike's internal letter designation. Mike treats Clone T as the **standard reference rubricorpora** by which other rubricorporas should be compared.