Pinguicula villosa : Hairy Butterwort

Scientific Name:

Kingdom: Plantae

Division:

• Tracheophyta (vascular)
• Spermatophyta (seed bearing)
Angiospermae (enclosed seed)

Class: Dicoteldonae (two seed-leaves)

Family: Lentibulariaceae (Bladderwort Family)

Genera: Pinguicula (Butterwort) (Lat. pinguis = fat; referring to the greasy appearance of the leaves.)

Species: villosa (Lat. villos = covered in shaggy hair; referring to the glandular-hairy flowers stalks)

English Name(s):

Hairy Butterwort,

First Nation Names:

Structure:

• Plants 2-12cm tall, from fine roots.

Leaves:

• Leaves basal, 4-10mm long by 2-5 mm wide.
• Ovate to elliptic in shape.
• Margine involute (rolled inward)
• Surface glabrous (smooth) below, glandular-villous (glandular-hairy) above.

Reproductive Parts:

• Flowers nodding, atop a glandular-villos scape (stalk).
• Calyx (united sepals) 1-2mm long, glandular-pubescent (hairy).
• Corolla (united petals) lavender blue, 6-10mm long, including the spur (point) at the base.

Seed:

• Capsules erect, 3-5mm long.
• Seeds wrinkled and numerous.

Not to Be Confused With:

• Pinguicula vulgaris (Common Butterowrt) is simmilar but larger and the scape (flower stalk) is glabrous (hairless/smooth).

Physiology:

• Leaves trap and then digest insects in the mucilaginous secretions on the upper surface of the leaf. They have stalked glands with a sticky secretion to trap and hold the prey. Then there are glands on the suface of the leaf which are dry until the presence of prey when they then release digestive secretions and then absorb the resulting nutrient rich fluid.
• The leaves are also capable of digesting seeds, pollen and other small organisms. They can digest an insect in about 2 days.

Life Cycle:

• Perennial from plant buds.

Seasonal Cycle:

• Finnished blooming by mid-July.

Animal Uses:

• The same species of insects that pollenate the flowers are eaten by the leaves.

Habitat:

• Sides of sphagnum hummocks in bogs or wet tundra. Leaves just barely visible above the moss.

Modern:

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Traditional Gwich'in:

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