Large-Flowered Butterwort

pinguicula grandiflora

The Large-Flowered Butterwort (Pinguicula grandiflora) is a captivating insectivorous plant renowned for its striking violet blooms and unique carnivorous lifestyle. Nestled in nutrient-poor boggy landscapes across Western Europe, this perennial herb has evolved a brilliant survival strategy to cope with acidic, nitrogen-deficient soils. Instead of relying purely on its roots, it turns to the sky, transforming its leaves into deadly sticky traps for passing insects. Beyond its predatory nature, the Large-Flowered Butterwort is highly valued for its gorgeous, orchid-like flowers that rise on slender stems, presenting a beautiful contrast to its wet, mossy environment. Botanists and nature enthusiasts alike marvel at this plant's delicate balance between fragile floral beauty and efficient predatory engineering. Spotting one in the wild is a true highlight of any wetland excursion.

Lebensraum: Typically found in damp, acidic, and nutrient-poor environments such as peat bogs, fens, wet mountain rocks, and seepages.

Aussehen

This species forms a low-growing rosette of light-yellowish to pale-green, succulent leaves that lie flat against the ground. The leaves have a greasy, glistening appearance due to thousands of microscopic glands, and their margins slightly curl upwards. From late spring to mid-summer, the plant produces one or more upright, leafless stalks, each ending in a large, single flower. The flower is typically a rich violet-purple with a broad, white throat and a distinct nectar spur at the back, measuring up to 3 centimeters across.

ReichPlantaeStammTracheophytaKlasseMagnoliopsidaOrdnungLamialesFamilieLentibulariaceaeGattungPinguicula

Large-Flowered Butterwort

Kategorie

Pflanzen

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

In the winter, the plant completely dies back into a tight bud called a hibernaculum, which lacks roots and lies dormant on the cold moss until spring.

Its scientific name, Pinguicula, comes from the Latin 'pinguis', meaning 'fat' or 'greasy', referring to the oily texture of its leaves.

The common name 'butterwort' comes from the historic use of its greasy leaves to curdle milk and make traditional Scandinavian yogurt-like products.

Besondere Fähigkeiten

Secretes a sticky, glistening mucilage from glandular leaf hairs that traps small insects when they land.

Releases specialized digestive enzymes directly from its leaves to break down trapped insect bodies and absorb essential nutrients.

Survives harsh freezing winters by retreating into a tight, rootless vegetative bud that resists cold and snow.

Maße und Details

Länge: 5-20 cm
Gewicht: 0.002-0.015 kg
Lebenserwartung: 3-10 Jahre

Ernährung und Fütterung

Utilizes sticky leaves to trap and digest tiny invertebrates, absorbing essential nutrients that the soil lacks.

Hauptnahrung

Gnats
Midges
Springtails
Small flies

Nahrungssuche

Ambushbase Of Plant Passive Trapping Which Acts Like Ambush For Insects As They Land Unsuspecting On Leaves So We Classify As Ambush Or Similar Term But Using Ambush As Permitted Schema Value Or Foraging Let's Use Ambush For Passive Traps Where Prey Wanders In And Is Stuck With No Pursuit. Let's Write 'ambush' To Fit. Let's Use "ambush" As Specified. Wait, Let's Keep It Simple: 'ambush' Matches The Schema. Let's Double Check If We Can Write "ambush" Or Null. The Schema Allows 'string' Or 'null'. I Will Use "ambush".

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

mutualism

Common Carder Bee

Bombus pascuorum

Pollinates the large flowers during the spring and summer months.

hunts

Fungus Gnat

Sciara militaris

Captured on the sticky leaves of the butterwort, providing essential nitrogen.

competitor

Lustrous Bogmoss

Sphagnum subnitens

Competes for space and sunlight in boggy, nutrient-poor soils.

Merkmale

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Sicherheit

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Noch keine besonderen Sicherheitshinweise.

Häufig gestellte Fragen

Wie identifiziert man Large-Flowered Butterwort?

Der einfachste Weg, Large-Flowered Butterwort zu bestimmen, ist die Verwendung der Naturführer-App Snappit.

Was ist der/die/das länge von Large-Flowered Butterwort?

5-20 cm

Was ist der/die/das gewicht von Large-Flowered Butterwort?

0.002-0.015 kg

Was ist der/die/das lebenserwartung von Large-Flowered Butterwort?

3-10 Jahre

Was frisst Large-Flowered Butterwort?

Utilizes sticky leaves to trap and digest tiny invertebrates, absorbing essential nutrients that the soil lacks.

Wo findet man Large-Flowered Butterwort normalerweise?

Typically found in damp, acidic, and nutrient-poor environments such as peat bogs, fens, wet mountain rocks, and seepages.

Wie jagt Large-Flowered Butterwort?

Ambushbase Of Plant Passive Trapping Which Acts Like Ambush For Insects As They Land Unsuspecting On Leaves So We Classify As Ambush Or Similar Term But Using Ambush As Permitted Schema Value Or Foraging Let's Use Ambush For Passive Traps Where Prey Wanders In And Is Stuck With No Pursuit. Let's Write 'ambush' To Fit. Let's Use "ambush" As Specified. Wait, Let's Keep It Simple: 'ambush' Matches The Schema. Let's Double Check If We Can Write "ambush" Or Null. The Schema Allows 'string' Or 'null'. I Will Use "ambush".