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 psittacina

Sarracenia psittacina 'Golfball' clone A, Wash. Co, AL

Washington Co, AL

First described
2012

A psittacina selection from Washington County, AL — informally nicknamed 'Golfball' / 'golfballensis' for its proportionally oversized pitcher heads. Mike's particular accession is 'Clone A', distinguished by intense dark red coloration in aged traps. Documented from 2012 to 2018 (24 Mike photos).

Origin

S. psittacina from Washington County, AL per the thread title. A forum reply (sarraceniaobsessed, 2012-08-08) describes the broader 'golfball' form as occurring "in the ditches there" referring to the Citronelle, AL area (Mobile Co), and credits Jim Miller with the 'golfball' name — but Mike does not directly confirm Citronelle in his own posts. The clone's source population is provisionally 'Wash. Co, AL' per Mike's title; the Citronelle/Mobile-Co attribution is [VERIFY].

History

  • Pre-2012: Mike acquires Clone A. Year [MISSING].
  • 2012-08-05 (post 1): First forum documentation. Mike notes the proportionally large heads even at regular plant size.
  • 2012-08-08 (post 2-5): Naming context — Jim Miller's informal 'golfball'. Mike warns against using the faux-Latin 'golfballensis' in academic-adjacent settings.
  • 2012-10-05 (post 6): Update — starting to gain size.
  • 2012-12 (post 8): The dramatic reveal of the clone's intense dark coloration in aged traps.
  • 2015-11-19 (post 9): "This red golfball clone A is so vigorous it still produced an impressive plant" after a year of neglect (Mike was raising baby Ellie).
  • 2018-11-02 (post 11): Mike explains why Clone A is in high demand — the dark red phenotype clearly stands out. Notes a partially failed propagation attempt the prior year, with divisions expected to be available again summer 2019.
  • 2018-12-11 (post 13): Final update photos in this thread.
  • 2018-12 (post 16): Mike's general comments on psittacina hardiness (not clone-specific).

Standout traits

  • Oversized heads — the trait that earned the 'golfball' name, given by Jim Miller. Visible even on regular-sized plants.
  • Dark red color in aged traps — distinct enough to be picked out of a mixed psittacina group at a glance.
  • Color requires aging — fresh traps are pale.
  • Vigorous and forgiving — produces well even under neglect.
  • Late dormancy onset — early November in Mike's Bay Area conditions.

Cultivation notes

Standard psittacina culture. Notably forgiving of neglect. Color will only develop on aged traps; if your plant is producing fresh green traps, give them time before judging the clone.

Photos

See gallery below — 24 Mike-photos spanning 2012 through 2018.

Standout traits

  • Pitcher heads proportionally large for the plant size, even on regular-sized plants — the trait that earned the 'golfball' nickname
  • Surprisingly intense dark color when aged — Mike (2012-12): 'I'm pretty surprised that the color became this intense'
  • One of the latest psittacinas to enter dormancy — went dormant in early November in Mike's Bay Area conditions
  • Vigorous — Mike (2015): 'this red golfball clone A is so vigorous it still produced an impressive plant' even after a season of neglect
  • Color development: pitchers don't reach full red until they age — fresh traps are paler
  • Distinct enough from regular psittacinas to be visually identifiable in a mixed bog (purpman, 2012-10: 'Clearly distinguishable from my other psits')

Cultivation

  • Vigorous and forgiving. Mike reported neglecting the plants in 2015 (raising baby Ellie) and the clone still produced an impressive plant.
  • Late dormancy. Goes dormant early November in Bay Area conditions — among the last psittacina clones to do so.
  • Color requires aging. New traps are pale; the dark red that defines the clone develops only as the trap matures.
  • Hardiness: Mike (in 2018-12 thread reply) — S. psittacina generally is "less hardy than the other Sarracenias" but can be grown outdoors in Zone 6+ with thoughtful winter protection; not specific to this clone.

Photos (24)

Golfball, 2012-08-05 — first forum post; regular-sized plants but proportionally large heads— Mike Wang
Golfball, 2012-08-05— Mike Wang
Golfball, 2012-08-05— Mike Wang
Golfball, 2012-10-05 — 'starting to get there' on size— Mike Wang
Golfball, 2012-10-05— Mike Wang
Golfball, mid-December 2012 — Mike: 'Check out how dark this clone has become'— Mike Wang
Golfball, mid-December 2012— Mike Wang
Golfball, mid-December 2012— Mike Wang
Golfball, mid-December 2012— Mike Wang
Golfball, mid-December 2012— Mike Wang
Golfball, mid-December 2012— Mike Wang
Golfball clone A in a mixed group, 2015-11-19 — easily identifiable by color— Mike Wang
Golfball clone A, 2015-11-19 — 'Crappy light, but beautiful plant'— Mike Wang
Golfball clone A, autumn 2018— Mike Wang
Golfball clone A, autumn 2018— Mike Wang
Golfball clone A, autumn 2018— Mike Wang
Golfball clone A, autumn 2018— Mike Wang
Golfball clone A, autumn 2018— Mike Wang
Golfball clone A, autumn 2018— Mike Wang
Golfball clone A, autumn 2018— Mike Wang
Golfball clone A, 2018-12-11— Mike Wang
Golfball clone A, 2018-12-11— Mike Wang
Golfball clone A, 2018-12-11— Mike Wang
Golfball clone A, 2018-12-11— Mike Wang

Naming

Informal 'Golfball' label, descriptive of the comparatively oversized pitcher heads. Forum context (sarraceniaobsessed, 2012-08-08): "Jim Miller gave it that name." Mike (post 3, same date): "haha, don't get caught calling it 'golfballensis'... Jan Schlauer et. al will kill you!" — confirming that a faux-Latin 'golfballensis' nickname circulates informally but has no taxonomic standing. Mike refers to his particular plant as 'Golfball clone A', distinguishing it from other selections in the same general lineage.