Sarracenia purpurea

Sarracenia purpurea

Sarracenia purpurea has the largest distribution of the species. Populations in the south start in the eastern Gulf Coastal plain, and spread in an arc north eastwards along the South Eastern coastal plain to New Jersey, where the range expands inland to encompass the Great Lakes and a large part of Canada. The northern limit to distribution is currently not well defined.
There are two well accepted subspecies, and a number of other taxa, along with a certain amount of taxonomic 'discussion' about their status (it's good to talk!) I am sticking to a fairly conventional arrangement. Given the enormous range of the species, I don't yet grow enough forms from enough of the range for my satisfaction, but collections in the far north are infrequent.
In cultivation, the species is easy and amenable. It grows well outdoors in the UK, and is naturalised in a number of locations in addition to the large and well known location in Eire.

Sarracenia purpurea ssp purpurea

The type subspecies occurs throughout the northern part of the range. This single subspecies has a larger area of distribution than all of the other species put together. It occurs south to New Jersey and Delaware, where the species distribution narrows to the coastal plain. Plants have smaller narrower pitchers than the southern subspecies, and the pitchers are completely smooth and hairless on the external surface.

CANADA

USA

Connecticut

Sarracenia purpurea purpurea SPU-05-JN

Maryland

Sarracenia purpurea purpurea P-26-PW

Michigan

Sarracenia purpurea purpurea P-6-TS

Sarracenia purpurea purpurea "Semi-veinless" P-23-RB

Sarracenia purpurea purpurea P-29-DB

Pennsylvania

Sarracenia purpurea purpurea P-68-DS

New Jersey

Sarracenia purpurea purpurea P-22-RB

Sarracenia purpurea purpurea PP-3-MK

Other Forms

Sarracenia purpurea purpurea P-2-LGC

Sarracenia purpurea purpurea P-11-M

Sarracenia purpurea purpurea P-12-M

Sarracenia purpurea purpurea P-14-DB

Sarracenia purpurea purpurea P-34-TC

Sarracenia purpurea purpurea P-35-TC

Sarracenia purpurea purpurea P-40-CK

Sarracenia purpurea purpurea P-44-JS

Sarracenia purpurea purpurea P-45-JS

Sarracenia purpurea purpurea P-49-JS

Sarracenia purpurea purpurea PP-01-PJG

Sarracenia purpurea purpurea SP-17-AS

Sarracenia purpurea purpurea SP-19-AS

Ireland (naturalised)

Sarracenia purpurea purpurea PP-6-MK

Sarracenia purpurea purpurea P-73-IS

Sarracenia purpurea ssp purpurea f. heterophylla

Sarracenia purpurea purpurea f. heterophylla is an uncommon variant that is completely without red pigment in any of its parts. As a consequence the pitchers and flowers are a uniform bright yellow-green. It was originally described from Massachusetts, but has since been found in a handful of other locations.

Michigan

Sarracenia purpurea purpurea heterophylla P-36-RA

Other Forms

Sarracenia purpurea purpurea heterophylla P-8-JN

Sarracenia purpurea purpurea heterophylla P-28-DB

Sarracenia purpurea purpurea heterophylla P-50-JS

Sarracenia purpurea ssp purpurea var riplicola

This variety is no longer accepted. I retain the name here for convenience, to refer to a plant that belonged to this variety before it was sunk into Sarracenia purpurea ssp purpurea. The plant grows in alkaline marl bogs and produces small rosettes of small bright, often very shiny pitchers that have been described as "brittle". Since its description it has been shown by translocation trials that the differences are caused by the ecological conditions rather than by a genetic variation.

Canada

Sarracenia purpurea riplicola P-16-DCB

Sarracenia purpurea riplicola P-52-DCB

Sarracenia purpurea ssp venosa
The southern subspecies ranges fron Delaware in the north along the eastern coastal plain, possibly reaching into coastal Georgia.
The pitchers are broad at the mouth, almost bulbous in shape and distinctively pubescent (hairy) on the outer surface, feeling rough to the touch.
A number of my plants have turned out to be Sarracenia purpurea ssp venosa var burkii, and I am still sorting the plants out and getting the names right. I am surprised by how few forms are in cultivation from known locations.

North Carolina

Brunswick County

Sarracenia purpurea venosa P-17-DCB

New Hanover County

Sarracenia purpurea venosa P-33-ST

Sarracenia purpurea venosa P-43-ST

Other forms.

Sarracenia purpurea venosa PV-5-ST

Sarracenia purpurea venosa 'Smurf' P-70-GH

Sarracenia purpurea venosa 'Red Ruffles' P-72-DCB

Carolina

Sarracenia purpurea venosa P-7-TS

Other Forms

Sarracenia purpurea venosa P-1-M

Sarracenia purpurea venosa P-3-CGC

Sarracenia purpurea venosa P-9-M

Sarracenia purpurea venosa P-15-WGC

Sarracenia purpurea venosa P-25-TGC

Sarracenia purpurea venosa P-27-LGC

Sarracenia purpurea venosa P-38-AP

Sarracenia purpurea venosa P-57-CK

Sarracenia purpurea venosa green form P-61-GH

Sarracenia purpurea ssp venosa var burkii
A variety that occurs along the eastern Gulf Coast, from western Georgia through the Florida Panhandle, Alabama, Mississippi and into Louisiana. Pale pink to almost whitish petals and a white or greenish style. The pitchers can be very short and broad and bright red. Originally described as a cultivar 'Louis Burke', and assumed to be a rare variant from the wild population, it slowly became clear that the entire disjunct Gulf Coast population belonged to this taxon, and it was elevated to the rank of var burkii. The plant is visually distinct, from a large discrete population. Genetic studies have shown that it is very close to ssp venosa, but that it is reliably distinct. It is not really surprising that there have been proposals to treat it as a distinct species in its own right, as Sarracenia rosea. The argument is tenable but not really compelling. It is difficult to see any great nomenclatural advantage to the proposed arrangement.

Alabama

Mobile County

Sarracenia purpurea venosa burkii PV-3-ST

Florida

Bay County

Sarracenia purpurea venosa burkii P-13-ST

Sarracenia purpurea venosa burkii P-20-AP

Sarracenia purpurea venosa burkii P-10-MS

Sarracenia purpurea venosa burkii P-30-ST

Sarracenia purpurea venosa burkii P-31-ST

Sarracenia purpurea venosa burkii P-32-ST

Liberty County

Sarracenia purpurea venosa burkii P-1-TS

Sarracenia purpurea venosa burkii P-5-JW

Sarracenia purpurea venosa burkii SP-20-AS

Okaloosa County

Sarracenia purpurea venosa burkii P-4-JW

Sarracenia purpurea venosa burkii SP-25-AS

Other Forms

Sarracenia purpurea venosa burkii P-56-CK

Sarracenia purpurea venosa burkii PV-02-PJG

Sarracenia purpurea venosa burkii PV-17-MK

Sarracenia purpurea venosa burkii PVB-01-PJG

Sarracenia purpurea ssp venosa var burkii f. luteola
The anthocyanin free form.

Alabama

Baldwin County

Sarracenia purpurea venosa burkii luteola PV-11-MK

Sarracenia purpurea ssp venosa var montana
This mountain form of Sarracenia purpurea occurs in a disjunct population in the piedmont region of south-western North Carolina through the adjacent part of South Carolina and into northern Georgia. The pitchers have distinctive lids that fold inwards until the pitcher mouth is more or less closed over. Observers in the field indicate that this character is variably expressed, but transplant trials have shown that it is genetic in nature rather than environmental.