Splinter Hill Bog: Sarracenia purpurea

Purple pitcher plant, with yellow stigma/style

The second species of pitcher plants we saw at Splinter Hill Bog was the purple pitcher plant, Sarracenia purpurea ssp. rosea. This is a southern subspecies of the widespread species that's found in much of the eastern U.S. This plant differs quite a bit from S. leucophylla, the white-topped pitcher plant, particularly in the morphology of the pitchers. S. purpurea's pitchers are short, squat, and green to reddish in color, with none of the white pigment (or lack of pigment) that characterizes S. leucophylla.

Note the downward facing hairs, to help catch dinner