New Nepenthes Pitchers

The warm weather is still holding out in Oregon (knock on wood) and my plants are finally beginning to flourish. YAY! The outdoor American pitchers and the indoor Nepenthes are going gangbusters and I couldn’t be happier.  The Nepenthes pitchers are still on a little on the small side, but they sure are pretty! This week will just be a few photos of the new pitchers and one artsy-fartsy photo I took of one of my newest additions, Pinguicula agnata x gypsicola. Enjoy!

Nepenthes Mirabilis x Kuchingensis Spotted Red: This is a plant I ordered off ebay about four months ago. After about a 10-week recovery period from shipping trauma (it came from Thailand, so it was in transit for about three weeks) it slowly began to produce new leaves. The recent temperature jump in the terrarium gave the plant the boost it needed to produce these beautiful red-spotted pitchers. This pitcher is about four inches in length from top to bottom, including the lid.

Mirabilis x Kuchingensis Spotted Red

One of the features I like so much about this pitcher is its wide, flat, ribbed peristome. The peristome is the area around the opening and it’s where the nectar is produced. The tantalizing combination of a colorful peristome and yummy nectar is what attracts live prey to the pitchers. I’ve tried the nectar and it’s actually quite sweet. It tastes similar to that of a honeysuckle. Sometimes, for giggles (and education, of course) I’ll try to get house guests to try the nectar. They usually turn two shades of white and look at me like I’m out of my everlovin’ mind. Good times.

Peristome of a Mirabilis x Kuchingensis Spotted Red

The following plant is also a Nepenthes Mirabilis x Kuchingensis, but I think it’s just a straight cross.

Mirabilis x Kuchingensis

And finally,

P. agnata x gypsicola

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