Butterworts   GENUS Pinguicula

Pinguicula macroceras ssp. nortensis

P. macroceras in flower in early March, southwestern Oregon. Formally classified as P. vulgaris, the population of plants growing in northern California, adjacent Oregon, all the way through Canada and in the southern half of Alaska, and then extending all the way to Japan, are now considered P. macroceras. Specifically, the populations growing in California and Oregon are given sub-species designation, P. macroceras ssp. nortensis. (Rondou) 

For those interested in photography, the picture below was taken by a 500mm reflex lens which gave characteristic donut-shape patterns on the background.

P. macroceras growing alongside cobra plants in southern Oregon. Constant flow of cold waters from mountain spring considered essential for the cobra plants are also appreciated by these butterworts. Individuals with leaves having a slight to moderate maroon coloration are common in this habitat. The plants start blooming in early March in this southwestern Oregon colony.

Corolla color ranges slightly from light to dark purple with white center. In  this species, a beard-like structure (palate) on the corolla tube is absent, and instead, only the hairs grow on the lower tube where the  palate would  have been. The corolla divides into the upper and lower lips in front. The upper lip forms two lobes and the lower lip three lobes. The corolla tube terminates in a blunt spur

Flower details of P. macrocerous ssp. nortensis. A zygomorphic flower has the upper and lower lips. The upper lip divides into two lobes and the lower into three lobes. The hairy structure called palate seen in the southeastern butterworts is absent from this species, though the hairs grow on the lower lip where a palate would have  been. The spur is short and rather abrupt which distingish this subspecies from the normal P. macrocerous.

Sadashi Komiya made an exploration trip of the carnivorous plants in the western part of U.S. (19777) including Alaska. The trip was organized by Insectivorous Plant Society, Japan. During the survey in California and Oregon, he concluded that the populations of P. vulgaris-like plants growing in the western part of North America, including the populations in the southern half of Alaska, belonging to the same taxon at the species level, as those growing in Japan. He considers the plants P. macroceras and agrees with ssp designation by Rondou (196666) of the small populations found in California and Oregon

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