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'''''Sarracenia flava''''', the '''Yellow pitcher plant''', is a [[carnivorous plant]] in the family [[Sarraceniaceae]]. Like all the Sarraceniaceae, it is native to the [[New World]]. Its range extends from southern [[Alabama]], through [[Florida]] and [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], to the coastal plains of southern [[Virginia]] and [[South Carolina]]. [[Image:Sarracenia flavaPCCA20060423-3480B.jpg|left|100px|thumb|Pitcher mouth with operculum]] [[Image:Sarracenia flavaPCCA20060423-3391B.jpg|left|100px|thumb|Flower]] Like other members of the [[genus]] ''[[Sarracenia]]'', the yellow pitcher plant traps insects using a rolled leaf, which in this species is a vibrant yellow in colour, and up to over a metre in height<ref>Graham, D.L. 1997. {{PDFlink|[http://www.carnivorousplants.org/cpn/articles/CPNv26n4p118_120.pdf Reflections and suggestions from 1996.]}} ''[[Carnivorous Plant Newsletter]]'' '''26'''(4): 118–120.</ref> (although 50 cm is more typical). The uppermost part of the leaf is flared into a lid (the [[Operculum (botany)|operculum]]), which prevents excess rain from entering the pitcher and diluting the [[digestion|digestive secretions]] within. The upper regions of the pitcher are covered in short, stiff, downwards-pointing hairs, which serve to guide [[insect]]s alighting on the upper portions of the leaf towards the opening of the pitcher tube. The upper regions are also brightly patterned with flower-like [[anthocyanin]] markings, particularly in the varieties ''S. flava'' var. ''rugelii'' and ''S. flava'' var. ''ornata'': these markings also serve to attract insect prey. The opening of the pitcher tube is retroflexed into a 'nectar roll' or [[peristome]], whose surface is studded with [[nectar]]-secreting glands. The nectar contains not only [[sugar]]s, but also the [[alkaloid]] [[coniine]] (a [[toxin]] also found in [[Conium|hemlock]]), which probably intoxicates the prey. Prey entering the tube find that their footing is made extremely uncertain by the smooth, [[wax]]y secretions found on the surfaces of the upper portion of the tube. Insects losing their footing on this surface plummet to the bottom of the tube, where a combination of digestive fluid, wetting agents and inward-pointing hairs prevent their escape. Some large insects (such as [[wasp]]s) have been reported to escape from the pitchers on occasion, by chewing their way out through the wall of the tube. In [[spring (season)|spring]], the plant produces large [[flower]]s with 5-fold [[symmetry]]. The yellow [[petal]]s are long and strap-like, and dangle over the [[umbrella]]-like style of the flower, which is held upside down at the end of a 50 cm long [[scape]]. The [[carpel|stigma]] of the flower are found at the tips of the 'spokes' of this umbrella. Pollinating insects generally enter the flower from above, forcing their way into the cavity between the petals and umbrella, and depositing any pollen they are carrying on the stigmata as they enter. The pollinators generally exit the flower, having been dusted with the plant's own pollen, by lifting a petal. This one-way system helps to ensure [[cross pollination]]. In late summer and autumn, the plant stops producing carnivorous leaves, and instead produces flat, non-carnivorous [[phyllode|phyllodia]]. This is probably an adaptation to low light levels and insect scarcity during the winter months, and shows clearly the cost of carnivory. The yellow pitcher plant is easy to cultivate, and is one of the most popular carnivorous plants in [[horticulture]]. The yellow pitcher plant readily hybridises with other members of the genus ''Sarracenia'': the hybrids ''S. x catesbaei'' (''S. flava'' × ''S. purpurea'') and ''S. moorei'' (''S. flava'' × ''S. leucophylla'') are found in the wild, and are also popular amongst collectors. {{Inc| Sarracenia flava, Linn. Pitchers erect, 10-34 in. long, trumpet-shaped, with prominent longitudinal veins, yellow-green to green, often crimson throat, or deep crimson throughout; lid ovate-orbicular, slightly inflexed over mouth, with strong median nerve ending in mucro; wing narrow, uniform in width: fls. 2-3 1/2 in. wide, flavous yellow, odor rather pungent. Abundant over swamps and savannas, often in humus-sand that becomes dry in summer but moist in winter; S. Va. to W. Fla. Var. atrosanguinea, Bull (Mast.?). Pitcher and lid dark crimson-claret. Not uncommon from N. to S. C. over the coastal plain region. Var. limbata, Bull Lvs. medium to large, margin of operculum crimson. A rare form. Var. maxima, Mast. Lvs. large, uniformly yellowish green. Frequent in S. N. C. Var. minima, Mast. Lvs. small, 9-12 in., pale green with purple veins over tube and lid. Occasional with the type form. Var. ornata, Bull (S. Fildesii, Hort.). Lvs. 26-32 in., throat of pitcher and base of lid furnished with purple radiate lines. Frequent in N. and S. C. Var. Rugelii, Shuttl. (S. erythropus, Bull). Lvs. large, 26-34 in., top of pitcher and base of lid dark crimson. Frequent throughout Ga. and W. Fla. {{SCH}} }} ==Cultivation== ===Propagation=== ===Pests and diseases=== ==Varieties== ==Gallery== <gallery perrow=5> Image:SarraceniaFlavaVars.JPG|A "pitcherplant meadow" in the Florida panhandle, with mixed varieties of ''Sarracenia flava'': var. ''rugelii'', var. ''ornata'', and var. ''rubricorpora''. Image:Upload.png| photo 1 Image:Upload.png| photo 2 Image:Upload.png| photo 3 </gallery> ==References== <references/> *[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963 <!--- xxxxx *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381 --> <!--- xxxxx *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432 --> <!--- xxxxx *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608 --> ==External links== *{{wplink}} {{stub}} __NOTOC__
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