 |
Australian Pitcher Plant |
|
Introduction
The Australian Pitcher only has one species of pitcher: Cephalotus follicularis. This plant was first discovered in 1806 and only grows in the south-western region of Australia. This is a very sought after plant in collections. I managed to get one and it has been doing very well!
The Australian Pitcher grows during the summer, but not during the winter in it's natural environment. When spring comes around, the plant will first produce leaves that do not have traps. These are flat, rounded, smooth leaves that act to produce energy for the plant by photosynthesis. When the traps start to grow, they are very fuzzy and start out small. The traps will get up to about 1-2 inches in length and will be green when they first start to grow, but will turn nice dark red colors in bright light. The traps are surrounded by hairs which help guide the insect to the pitcher, which also makes nectar leading into the trap. There is a collar inside the trap that is covered with nectar on the underside, but it is very slippery. When the insect leans over, it will fall into the trap. The trap contains acids and enzymes to digest the bug.
Geography
The only natural place Australian Pitchers grow is a small coastal region around Esperence Bay in Australia. This region has cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers.
Growing Specifics
In their natural environment, the Australian Pitcher is in sandy soil, so that is the best growing soil for them. It is wise to put some long fiber sphagnum moss in the bottom of the pot to prevent loss of soil. This pitcher can be watered with the Tray Watering Method, but likes it if the water table drops. Since my terrarium level does not drop, I have my Australian Pitchers sitting on a pedestal above the water table and water it overhead every few days.
Photogallery
Click on the photos to see larger images.
Cephalotus follicularis austpitch/australian Pitcher in a competition at the 2006 International Carnivorous Plant Society. |
A Tank of Cephalotus A tank of pitchers belonging to Dangerous Plants. I took this picture at the ICPS conference. |
My Australian Pitchers 1 My pitchers when I first got them. |
My Australian Pitchers 2 My pitchers after 2 months of growth in the terrarium. |
My Australian Pitchers 3 An overhead of my pitchers a few months after I got them. |
All information on this site ©2006 State College Carnivorous Plants. Site designed and maintained by Tom Murosky.
Last update January 22, 2007.
I allow free use of all written materials on this site. Easy download PDF files availible
in the resource link of each plant type.
Photographs may contain copyrights from other organizations, you must contact them regarding
use of photographs. --
We have had
visitors.