My name is Patrick Warrington. I have been reading the mail and trying to
catch up on the archives of CP for a few weeks and decided I might have
something of interest to offer. If I am wrong dump on me.
I am a botanist and my specialty is aquatic plants and I have worked
professionally in this field for the BC Gov. for twenty years. I also have an
interest in CP's so I have kept separate lists of the distribution of CP's
along side my lists of the distribution of aquatics. In BC most CP sites are
marginal to aquatic sites so I get to see them both on the same trip. The
major exception is Pinguicula which is very habitat specific. Taxonomically I
am a lumper, not a splitter, which is reflected in the names I accept for
taxonomic entities. The more field work I do the more I feel that many
herbarium species are just that, herbarium species, and do not reflect the
reality of gene flow in the field and morphological differentiation which is
only a reponse to local habitat conditions.
Sarracenia purpurea L. is only known in BC from a swampy area near Fort
Nelson, approximately 58 45 north by 122 30 west.
Pinguicula vulgaris L. (I accept P. macroceras as a synonym) is very habitat
specific. There must be virtually year round seepage passing over or through
the site. It grows on marginal mossy banks of streams or ponds usually at
higher elevations where it is cold or on vertical rocky cliff faces with
perpetual seepage, from the mountains right down to sea-shore cliffs on the
west coast of Vancouver Island. Known locations are given below with latitude
north x longitude west and (elevation in meters):
Paradise meadows: Lady lake outlet, ponds and stream edges, wet meadows, many
sites 49 43 x 125 19 (1170); Chilliwack lake cliff face 49 04 x121 25 (617),
Rosemund beach cliff face 48 28 x 124 10 (3); Elk river trail cliff face 49
46 x 125 51 (884), Vermillion ochre beds meadow 51 10 x 116 09 (1433),
Emerald lake fan 51 27 x 116 32 (1303), Ross lake shore 51 26 x 116 18
(1730), Sherbrooke Creek bank 51 27 x 116 23 (1798), Sherbrooke Lake outlet
51 27 x 116 23 (1801), Wetb seepage meadow near takakkawa falls 51 29 x 116
29 (1650), Wet meadow near maxines pond 51 32 x 116 31 (1905), Woss lake
mossy log 50 04 x 126 37 (150), Kennedy lake rock face 48 54 x 125 32 (7),
Bear lake shore 48 49 x 124 08 (161), Atluck creek bank 50 11 x 126 59 (134),
Drizzle lake shore 53 56 x 132 04 (52), Mohun lake rocky shore 50 05 x 125 30
(213).
The book referred to is: Pojar, J. and A. Mackinnon. Editors. 1994. Plants of
the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone Pine Pub. It also mentions P. villosa from
the Queen Charlottes and northwards. I am not familiar with this plant.
We have only the 2 Drosera that I am aware of D. rotundifolia and D
anglica. These are almost ubiquitous on the shores of coastal BC lakes and on
the surface of logs floating on the lakes and ponds. I have 100's of records.
D. rotundifolia is more common and often occurs alone; D. anglica is less
common and is virtually always accompanied by D. rotundifolia. These plants
are, I believe, restricted to the west side of the coast range.
We have 4 Utricularia of widespread distribution in BC; again I have hundred
of records. U. ochroleuca has not been found yet but it is known from
Washington and we are on the lookout for it in southern BC. For a key and
taxonomic treatment see: Ceska, A. and M. A. M. Bell. 1973 Utricularia
(Lentibulariaceae) in the Pacific Northwest. Madrono 22(2): 74-84.
The species names and synonyms I accept are:
Utricularia gibba L.
Utricularia biflora Lamarck
Utricularia exoleta R. Brown
Utricularia fibrosa Walter
Utricularia pumila Walter
Utricularia intermedia Hayne
Lentibularia intermedia Nieuwl. & Lunell.
Utricularia minor L.
Utricularia occidentalis Gray
Utricularia vulgaris L.
Lentibularia vulgaris Moench.
Utricularia macrorhiza Leconte
One of the most memorable sights I encountered in my field work was a several
acre shallow pond, full, wall-to-wall with flowers spaced only inches apart,
with U. vulgaris in flower. This has gone on too long already.