Sarraceniaceae

Plant Sex: Flowers bisexual.

Flowers: Actinomorphic. Style dilated into an umbrella-shaped structure. Placentation may be axile below, parietal above!

Inflorescence: Flowers large, solitary, scapose.

Fruits: Loculicidal capsules.

Habit: Insectivorous perennial herbs.

Leaves: Tubular, modified into water-holding pitchers. Downward pointing hairs prevent trapped insects from leaving the pitcher.

Examples:
Sarracenia

S. flava (trumpets). Habit of plants (cultivated at Missouri Bot. Garden). Top of the pitcher. Yellow form of flower. Another view of yellow form. Purple form of flower.
S. purpurea (pitcher plant). Habit of plant in flower. Top of pitcher. Note downward pointing hairs. Flower. Flower L.S. Ovary X.S.
S. psittacina. Pitchers.

Darlingtonia

D. californica (cobra lily, California pitcher plant). Population of pitcher plants. Habit of the plant. Flower. Young fruit.

The family NEPENTHACEAE includes the genus Nepenthes, another type of pitcher plant. They are not closely related to Sarraceniaceae. These are Old World tropical epiphytes whose pitchers form from tendrils at the leaf apex.

SIUC / College of Science / Elements of Plant Systematics
URL: http://www.plantbiology.siu.edu/PLB304/Lecture20Corn/Sarraceniaceae.html
Last updated: 22-Mar-08 / dln