Pinguicula moranensis 'Kirkbright'

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TAXONOMY:

Family : Lentibulariaceae

Genus : Pinguicula

Name : not yet published

 

Sub-classification (Casper) : link

Publication : no publication

DESCRIPTION :

- soon - 

ORIGIN AND HISTORY :

Thanks to Edward L. Read,  we are able to give you more informations given by David Kirkbright himself below. Thank you very much David. 

"It was in mid March 1987 when I was in Mexico looking for cacti and other succulents. The weather was already very hot, I would think over 30 degrees. 

I was travelling down route 190 from Tamazulapan to Oaxaca and I think from memory it was about 50 Km before Oaxaca when I stopped to investigate a hillside overlooking some cultivated land. The hill was comprised of a number of natural steps on which there were bushes and trees growing, the trees having the Bromeliad Spanish Moss hanging from the branches. The area was very dry and a Ferocactus Macrodiscus that I found there was suffering from the effects of heat and dryness. 

I was very surprised to see a small purple flower rising from the dry grass at the base of one of the trees. I did not then have any knowledge of Pinguiculas so I did not recognise it.
The flower was rising from what I now know to be a rosette of the small resting non carnivorous leaves. I was so interested that I removed one of the rosettes and added it to the other plants I had collected. (Plant collecting was still legal at that time) I brought it home to England and a friend identified it for me and gave me some advice on how to grow it. 

About 2 or 3 years later Stan Lampard who grows cacti and carnivorous plants was visiting my collection and said that it looked interesting. When it next went into the small rosette stage I loaned the plant to him to make some propagations. It is from those plants that all the current material is available."

Map / LOCALISATION : 

From Mexico, State of Oaxaca, along road N°190, from Tamazulapan to Oaxaca, about 50 Km before Oaxaca.

 

(click on the map for better location and relief map)

 

 

 

HABITAT:         

As mentioned above, it is an hillside overlooking some cultivated land. The hill was comprised of a number of natural steps on which there were bushes and trees growing, the trees having the Bromeliad Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides) hanging from the branches. The area was very dry and a Ferocactus Macrodiscus that I found there was suffering from the effects of heat and dryness. 

I was very surprised to see a small purple flower rising from the dry grass at the base of one of the trees.

TEMPERATURE and PRECIPITATIONS :

Click on the graph to enlarge and see the graph of normal precipitation and normal average temperatures. Normal values are 30-year averages for the period 1961 to 1990. The weather stations are grouped by region (see map of weather stations).

 

    

Introduction in culture :

My plant was obtained from the collection of Naoki Tanabe (Japan).

CULTURE AND MULTIPLICATION : 

(North hemisphere, France near Paris, in a polycarbonate greenhouse - see the map -)

 

Life cycle : The life cycle observed in culture for this Pinguicula consists of two seasons, one wet and the other dry (see link). The plant forms different leaf rosettes according to the season. During the resting months (winter) the small succulent rosette is composed of numerous non-carnivorous leaves. The carnivorous leaves are produced in spring and during all summer. The life cycle of the plant is probably similar in it's native habitat.

 

Media : I use a 100 % mineral media : 2 perlite, 2 vermiculite, 1 small sand (for aquarium), 1 fine white sand, 1 pouzzolane (volcanic lava), 1 aqualit (expansed ceramic for aquarium). The aqualit can be replaced by 1 of pouzzolane. Plants in this media grow slower but have a stronger root system.

 

Pot : plastic, colour terracotta, diameter 12.5cm, height 12cm.

 

Cultivation : I think that a slightly airy situation inside the greenhouse is important to avoid air stagnation. For this reason, I use a fan 24h/24h all the year round.

Watering is very important : from May to September (summer). I let the media drying slightly between two watering. I use rain water poured on the top of the pot taking care not to wet the rosette.  From October to April, It is important to let the media drying completely (no watering) but with an atmospheric humidity of about 80%. 

The mentioned months are indicative and can change according to your own growing conditions. In fact, when this Pinguicula begins to produce its non-carnivorous leaves, you have to stop watering and let the pot drying out completely. Inversely, when the plant begins to produce in early spring its carnivorous leaves, you have to progressively start watering again the pot.

Temperatures : during growth period, day temperatures are about 25°C but may reach 35°C when the sun is shining on the greenhouse in spite of the use of shading covers. Night temperatures are around 20°C. During resting period : day/night over freezing point. Lower temperature observed : - 4°C. I use an electronic petroleum heater to provide heat.  

Flowering period : June 01

 

Multiplication : I have never succeeded up to now in pollinating the flowers of this Pinguicula. So I don't know how the seeds look like. The plants can be propagated easily using non-carnivorous leaves separated from the rosette at the end of winter. You only have to carefully tear out the totality of the leaf particularly with it's white base as the new plantlets will sprout from this area. Don't try with the summer leaves, it is harder.

PICTURES: (click to enlarge)