Pinguicula is a genus of carnivorous plants belonging to the Lentibulariaceae family. Plants of this kind use sticky and glandular leaves to attract, capture, kill and digest insects to compensate for the lack of mineral nutrients present in their habitat.
On-line Sale of the Pinguicula plant, available in the following sizes:
On-line Sale Of the Pinguicula plant, available in the following sizes:
Pinguicula belongs to the Lentibulariaceae family and includes about 80 species, of which only 4 (P. sharpii, P. takakii, P. crenatiloba and P. pumila) are annual. The remaining species are herbaceous perennials among which we find the 8 present also in Italy. The Pinguiculas are divided into two large groups depending on the place of origin: the temperate pinguiculas and the tropical ones. All form rosettes but the temperate ones, during the period of winter dormancy, form some rosettes called Hibernacula with leaves similar to scales and (for all the species apart from the P. alpine) they leave to dry the carnivorous leaves. The flowering occurs, for those temperate, to the formation of the summer rosettes while for the tropical ones every time they change rosette. The flowers have very long stems to avoid catching the pronubi insects. Plants of the genus Pinguicula are endowed with adhesive traps: the surface of the leaf, which is green or pink depending on the species, is covered by two types of glands; a peduncular gland that secretes a sticky liquid that covers the leaves and that, in addition to attracting with its appearance, the insects in search of water catch them by engulfing them: the more the prey is struggling, the more it stimulates the production of this liquid. The second type of glands are sessile and serve to secrete the enzymes that will digest the prey. Some species have leaves that can slightly wrap the captured insect.
Pinguicula loves sunny places sheltered from the wind. It should be watered regularly only with rain water or with distilled water, the tap water causes its death in a short time. In winter keep the soil moist, loose and well drained at acidic pH composed of a mixture of sphagnum peat, perlite and sand. It is a plant that absolutely must not be fertilized. The plant must be repotted only when the roots come out of the drainage holes of the water or when the peat that forms the substratum is in the process of rotting.
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