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Sarracenia (Named by Tournefort in honour)

(named by Tournefort, in honour of Dr. Sarrazin, of Quebec, who first sent species from North America to Europe). Indian Cup; Pitcher Plant; Side-saddle Flower; Trumpet Leaf. ORD. Sarraceniaceae. A genus comprising half-a-dozen species of curious, half-hardy, herbaceous perennials, inhabiting North America. Sepals five, spreading; petals five, connivent; style expanded into a large, umbrella-shaped disk; scapes one-flowered, naked, with the exception of three bracteoles close to the calyx. Leaves radical, pitcher-shaped. The species require to be potted in good, fibrous peat and sphagnum, such as will not readily become sour from the large administrations of water which are necessary during the growing season. A moderately cool house, and a moist, close atmosphere, are essential to the successful culture of Sarracenias. The roots must never be allowed to get dry. Propagation may be effected by division of the crowns.

S. Catesbaei (Catesby's). A form of S. flava.

S. Drummondii (Drummond's).* fl. purple, 3in. long; scapes longer than the leaves. April. l. 2ft. long, erect, trumpet-shaped, narrowly winged; lamina erect, rounded, short-pointed, hairy within, and, like the upper portion of the tube, white, variegated with reticulated, purple veins. 1829. This species has the peculiarity of producing a second crop of pitchers late in the season, which continue fresh on the plant during the winter. for which we are indebted to Mr. Wm. Bull. (F. d. S. 560 and 1071; F. M. iv. 208; G. C. n. s., xv. p. 633, and xvi. p. 8; L. & P. F. G. 1.) SYN. S. undulata. S. D. alba (white).* l. at apex, as well as the lamina, beautifully shaded and reticulated with transparent white. A tall-growing, garden variety. (G. C. n. s., x. p. 281.) S. D. rubra (red).* Not quite so tall a grower as S. D. alba, but like it in other respects, except that the markings are bright red. S. Fildesi (Fildes'), of gardens. Probably synonymous with S. flava Catesbaei. S. flava (yellow).* Trumpet Leaf; Watches. fl. yellow, 4in. to 5in. across; petals obovate-spathulate, undulated; stigma 2in. broad; scapes as long as the leaves. April and May. l. erect, 2ft. high, yellowish, trumpet-shaped, narrowly winged; lamina yellow, erect, orbicular, 3in. to 4in. wide, slender-pointed, tomentose within, reddish at the base, or reticulated with purple veins. 1752. (A. B. R. vi. 381; B. M. 780; F. d. S. x. 1068; I. H. ii. 63; L. B. C. 1957; R. G. 554.) S. f. atrosanguinea (dark blood-coloured). fl. over 3in. across, campanulate; petals creamy-white; sepals primrose-yellow, curling over the sepals. l. long, narrow, funnel-shaped; lamina broad, roundish, at first green, with red reticulations, gradually passing to a rich, deep blood-red colour. See Fig. 417, for which we are indebted to Mr. Wm. Bull. (G. C. n. s., xvi. p. 13; I. H. xxvii. 386.) S. f. Catesbaei (Catesby's). A form with very large pitchers, and a flat, roundish-cordate wing, traversed by red veins. "It is very doubtful, on the score of priority, whether this should not be taken as the type of the species" (Dr. Masters). SYNS. S. Catesbaei, S. Fildesi (?) (of gardens), and S. flava picta.

S. f. limbata (bordered). A large and remarkable form; the roundish lid marked all around the edge, on the lower side, with a band of brownish-crimson, 1/4in. deep.

S. f. maxima (large). A very distinct, large, and handsome kind, having immense pitchers with broad lids, of a pale green colour. S. f. ornata (adorned). fl. 6in. to 8in. in diameter; sepals greenish-yellow; petals of a rich canary-yellow, usually pendulous, in form resembling the falls of an Iris. l. recurved at the orifice; upper part strongly marked with well-defined reticulations of dark purplish-red, which are continued over the lamina. 1881. (G. C. n. s., xv. 114, 115, under name of S. ornata.) S. f. picta (painted). A synonym of S. f. Catesbaei. S. psittacina (parrot-beaked).* fl. purple, on scapes 1ft. high. April and May. l. 2in. to 4in. long, spreading; tube slender, broadly winged, marked with white spots, and reticulated with purple veins; lamina globose, inflated, incurved-beaked, almost closing the orifice of the tube. 1866. (F. d. S. 2063; G. C n. s., xv. p. 816.) S. purpurea (purple).* Huntsman's Cup. fl. purple; petals inflected over the stigma; scapes 1ft. high. April and May. l. 4in. to 6in. long, spreading; tube inflated, contracted at the throat, broadly winged; lamina reniform, erect, hairy within, often purple-veined. 1640. See Fig. 418. (B. M. 849; F. d. S. x. 1076; G. C. n. s., xv. p. 821; L. & P. F. G. ii. p. 25; P. M. B. iii. 221.) S. rubra (red).* fl. reddish-purple, smaller than in S. purpurea; petals obovate; scapes exceeding the leaves. May. l. 10in. to 18in. high, erect, slender, narrowly winged, paler above, and reticulated with purple veins; lamina ovate, erect, beak-pointed, tomentose within. 1786. (L. B. C. 1163.) S. r. acuminata (taper-pointed). l. erect, pale green, becoming freely reticulated with crimson veins near the top; lamina ovate, acuminate, much larger than the mouth, longitudinally meshed with crimson veins. (B. M. 3515, and H. E. F. 13, under name of S. rubra.) S. undulata (wavy). A synonym of S. Drummondii.

S. variolaris (variolar). fl. yellow, 2in. wide; petals inflected over the stigma; scapes shorter than the leaves. May. l. erect, 6in. to 12in. high, trumpet-shaped, broadly winged, spotted with white near the yellowish summit; lamina ovate, concave, arching over the orifice of the tube, hairy and reticulated with purple veins within. 1803. (B. M. 1710; L. B. C. 803; S. B. F. G. ser. ii. 138, under name of S. minor; S. E. B. 53, under name of S. adunca.) HYBRIDS. By crossing the above species, many beautiful hybrids have been raised, of which the following may be taken as a representative selection: S. Atkinsoniana (Atkinson's). l. long, narrow, and erect, green, with slight, red ribs and reticulations; lamina broad, cordate, green, marked with red ribs and veins. A distinct form, raised between S. flava maxima and S. purpurea, and partaking most of the characters of the former parent. S. chelsoni (Chelsea).* l. richly coloured with crimson of a brighter hue than those of either parent. A beautiful hybrid between S. rubra and S. purpurea; the pitchers have the elongated form of S. rubra with the broader dilatation of S. purpurea, and take a position intermediate between the decumbent habit of the latter and the erect growth of the former. (G. C. n. s., xiii. p. 725, and xv. p. 817.) S. Courtii (Court's).* l., when young, bright crimson-purple from the middle upwards, reticulated with darker veins, changing with age to deep blood-red, with blackish-purple veins. 1885. A beautiful hybrid between S. purpurea and S. psittacina. (R. G. 1886, p. 29.) S. crispata (curled). fl. fully 3in. across; petals white, drooping, recurved at the edges, l. erect, funnel-shaped; lamina erectly arched and roundish, and, as well as the upper part of the tube, marked by longitudinal pencillings of red, forming a rather open reticulation. Possibly a natural or wild hybrid between S. flava and S. rubra. (I. H. xxvii. 387; G. C. n. s., xv. p. 633, and xvi. p. 9, under name of S. flava crispata.) S. excellens (excellent). l. green, becoming stained with close reticulations of purplish-red near the upper end, the pallid spots reddish externally; lid roundish, arching, and, with the upper part of the tube, suffused and mottled with dark red. Habit erect. Parents: S. variolaris and S. Drummondii alba. S. exculta (adorned). l. erect, with a narrowish, wing, pale green below, the upper end, as well as the roundish, incurved, undulated lamina, strongly blotched with white and reticulated with crimson veins. Intermediate in character between S. flava atrosanguinea and S. Drummondii. S. exornata (ornamented). l. similar to those of S. purpurea, but more erect, slightly narrowed at the mouth, which is dark purple-red, revolute and glossy, the tube dark green, covered with purplish-red veins, the longitudinal ribs stout, with smaller and finer veins between; lamina erect, ovate, wavy, the dark purple-red ribs running up through it and diverging. The marking throughout is very bold and effective. Parents: S. purpurea and S. crispata. S. formosa (beautiful).* A hybrid between S. psittacina and S. variolaris. "The pitchers have more of the decumbent habit of S. psittacina than of the erect growth of S. variolaris, and are about intermediate in length between those of the two parents. The broad, lateral wing is also intermediate in form, while the beak-like lid of the pitcher is altogether that of S. psittacina. All the upper portion of the pitcher has a bright crimson, reticulated nervation, with the characteristic white spotting of S. variolaris; the basal portion is pale fulvous-green" (Veitch). See Fig. 419, for which we are indebted to Messrs. Veitch and Sons. S. illustrate (illustrated). l. long, funnel-shaped, strongly marked with longitudinal, crimson ribs, united by veins of a similar colour; lamina cordate, apiculate, green, marked by strong, red, curved veins, the outer of which extend to the margin. This resembles S. flava in habit. Parents: S. flava picta and S. Stevensii.

S. Maddisoniana (Maddison's). l. rather erect, short, broad, green, with dull veins outside; mouth translucent-spotted; lamina large, incurved over the tube, ovate, wavy, strongly ribbed with deep purple-red veins. Habit dwarf. Parents: S. variolaris and S. psittacina.

S. melanorhoda (dark red). l. semi-decumbent, elongated, funnel-shaped, gradually increasing in diameter from the base to the aperture, when mature blood-red, veined with blackish-crimson; wing broad; lamina erect, crisped, reddish-yellow, veined with blackish-crimson, hairy on the side facing the aperture. Parents: S. Stevensii and S. purpurea. See Fig. 419. S. Mitchelliana (Mitchell's).* l. curved, funnel-shaped, broadest at the top, olive-green, traversed by a profuse network of fine red veins, the whole changing, later on, to reddish-crimson; lamina cordate-reniform, undulated, with a bold reticulation of deep crimson-red. A very elegant plant. Parents: S. Drummondii rubra and S. purpurea. See Fig. 420, for which we are indebted to Mr. Wm. Bull.

S. Moorei (Moore's). fl. about 4in. in diameter, pendulous, fragrant; sepals greenish, tinted with rose outside; petals deep rosy-pink outside, pale creamy-pink within, 2 1/4in. long. l. about 2ft. high, erect, trumpet-shaped, winged, 4in. in diameter at the mouth, green; lamina about 3in. across, sessile, hairy, with a network of crimson veins inclosing lighter spaces. Parents: S. flava and S. Drummondii. (G. C. n. s., xvi. p. 44.) S. Popei (Pope's). fl. 4in. in diameter; sepals greenish, flushed with red, ovate-oblong; petals twice as long as the sepals, oblong-obovate, white at base, the rest velvety-crimson, margined with pale yellow, creamy-pink within. l. erect, about 2ft. high, slender, trumpet-shaped; lamina 3 1/2in. across, ovate, acuminate. Parents: S. flava and S. rubra. (G. C. n. s., xvi. p. 41.) S. Stevensii (Stevens'). l. large and erect, with prominent, straight, deep crimson veins, the interstices traversed with numerous veinlets of the same colour; lamina large, crisped, deep crimson. Parents: S. purpurea and S. flava, the latter being the seed-bearer. (G. C. n. s., xvi. p. 40.) S. Swaniana (Swan's). l. funnel-shaped, slightly incurved, greenish-purple, the inside of the tube, as well as the lamina, being closely reticulated with crimson veins; wing rather broad; lamina cordate-ovate, bilobed at the apex. A handsome and well-marked hybrid between S. variolaris and S. purpurea. See Fig. 420.

S. Tolliana (Toll's). l. long, slender, funnel-shaped, the orifice appearing as if cut straight across, with a recurved margin, either wholly deep purple-red with darker ribs and veins, or greenish with dark purple ribs and veins; lamina broadly reniform, undulated, reticulated with reddish-purple. Parents: S. Drummondii alba and S. flava.

S. Williamsi (Williams').* l. quite erect, rather short, funnel-shaped, constricted a short distance below the apex, green, ribbed with deep purplish-crimson; wing veined with purplish-crimson; lamina very broad and full, cordate-reniform, strongly marked by trichotomous ribs, united by smaller veins, the inside more closely reticulated with deep purplish-crimson. A very distinct and striking hybrid between S. purpurea and S. flava.