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 leucophylla

Sarracenia leucophylla 'pink lip, shapely' Washington Co, AL

Washington Co, AL

First described
2016

A standout S. leucophylla from Washington Co, AL — possibly a var. alba, with the unusual habit of producing pure-white lips that turn PINK with age. Mike speculates ancestral rubra wherryi / alata introgression for the pink pigments. Cultivation history is fragile — Mike lost the mother plant to rot in 2017 with only 2 divisions distributed and one local side-shoot saved. Documented in 2016 with a brief 2017 loss-update.

Origin

Wild-origin S. leucophylla from Washington Co, AL. Original collector and date are [MISSING]. Mike acquired the clone at some pre-2016 date.

History

  • Pre-2016: Mike acquires the clone.
  • 2016-10-10 (post 1): First forum doc. Mike notes the pink-with- age lip phenotype and speculates on ancestral introgression.
  • 2017-04-06 (post 6): Mother plant lost to rot. Mike left the freshly-divided plant in a flooding tray. One side-shoot saved but Mike "haven't been able to find it for 3 months." Only 2 divisions made it out before the loss.
  • 2019-04-13 (post 8): Calen offers a sideshoot from his Mike-acquired division. Outcome unrecorded in this thread.

Standout traits

  • White lips → pink with age.
  • Pink venation develops on aged traps.
  • Shapely pitcher form.
  • Possibly var. alba — Mike held off on confirming.

Cultivation notes

After dividing, ensure free drainage. Do not leave in a tray that floods. The clone is rot-prone post-division per Mike's 2017 loss.

Photos

See gallery below — 5 Mike-photos from 2016-10-10.

Standout traits

  • Excessive white in the pitcher with pink pigments mixed in — possibly a var. alba, but Mike (2016-10) wanted another season to confirm
  • Lip color trajectory: lips open PURE WHITE, then turn PINK as the trap ages — opposite of typical leucophylla maturation
  • Pink venation develops as the trap ages, contrasting against the bright white background
  • Shapely / strong pitcher form
  • Rare in cultivation: Mike lost the mother plant to rot in 2017 (left it in a flooding tray after dividing); only 2 divisions made it out before the loss
  • Possible ancestral introgression with S. rubra wherryi or S. alata (Mike's hypothesis for the pink pigments)

Cultivation

  • CAUTION: rot susceptibility post-division. Mike's mother plant rot loss in 2017 was directly attributable to leaving the freshly-divided plant in a tray that flooded. After dividing this clone, ensure free drainage and do not let it sit in standing water.
  • Patience for color trajectory — fresh white lips look like a typical leucophylla; the pink only develops with trap age.
  • Standard leucophylla culture otherwise.

Photos (5)

pink lip, shapely — older trap (left, pink lips) vs newer trap (right, pure white lips), 2016-10-10— Mike Wang
pink lip, shapely, 2016-10-10— Mike Wang
pink lip, shapely, 2016-10-10— Mike Wang
pink lip, shapely, 2016-10-10— Mike Wang
pink lip, shapely, 2016-10-10 — 'some could argue just based on this pic that this is an alba'— Mike Wang

Naming

Mike's descriptive label: 'pink lip' for the unusual age-induced pink lip coloration; 'shapely' for the strong pitcher form. Mike (post 1, 2016-10-14): "I bet the pink colors come from rubra wherryi or alata way down several generations ago."