I just realized that this undescribed species, one of my very favourites, didn't grow very quickly these last few months. Maybe my garage was a bit too cold. Last October it produced this pitcher:
Almost 5 months later, it has developed at last an additional pitcher but, to my satisfaction, this one will be quite big, the biggest I have ever had for this species. It should reach between 20 and 25 cm.
The pitcher has just opened today so you will need to be patient before you can see its campanulate shape. At this stage, I find some affinities between this plant and Heliamphora heterodoxa. Of course, the nectar spoon is very different and really peculiar, but the slight hip in the lower third, the nectaries and the cylindrical shape is, to me, reminiscent of H. heterodoxa. I hope we can read some work dealing with Heliamphora phylogeny in the foreseeable future, although I suspect that, sadly, Heliamphora sp. Akopan won't be included ;-(
I will, of course, make a few updates within the next few days, when the pitcher mouth will have enlarged.
0 comments:
Post a Comment