Field of Science

Green Swamp - Carnivorous Plants Abound

The intertubes have made this a much smaller world, and a long-time reader figured out that we were vacationing only about 10 miles apart.  As a nice botanical gesture, she recommended that the Phactor visit Green Swamp.  Somehow we did manage to get a couple of hours away from the family mob and have a look-see.  None of the urban sophisticates comprising the rest of our family demonstrated even the least interest in tagging along to a swamp.  Well, it was their loss.  Even without knowing the area or having any guidance the Phactors managed to see sundews by the dozens (2 species it seemed, but haven't checked yet), showing off their glistening and deadly glandular hairs, bladderwort in flower, venus flytraps, and pitcher plants, all of which are "carnivorous" plants, trapping insects or other inverts for purposes of augmenting their nutrient supply.  Nitrogen is generally hard to obtain in these wet acidic environments.  The pitcher plants were past their prime, so see this blog post from our friendly tipster to see them a bit earlier in the season.  Image-wise you'll have to make do with a sundew.  There were also two milkworts, two Rhexias, a yellow-eyed grass (Xyris sp. ?), and lots more in flower. The Carolina coastal region is quite famous for such plants, some of which are endangered because of habitat destruction and human predation.  

4 comments:

Daricia said...

Blueberry pie, sand castles and flytraps -- pretty close to a perfect vacation, I'd say. I'm so glad to know you didn't miss the chance to go to the Green Swamp! Thanks for the mention...you made my day!

Unknown said...

Lovely! The sundew in your photo looks like Drosera capillaris. The other sundew in the area, D. brevifolia, has a wedge-shaped leaf transition to petiole. And D. rotundifolia has a much wider lamina. Great post! I'm glad you got to visit the Green Swamp.

The Phytophactor said...

Thanks Ryan. We did indeed see lots of D. brevifolia, but thought perhaps this smaller one was rotundifolia.

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