> Although Barry's articles on Genlisea species are very interesting, I
> would like to have further informations on this genus. In his book,
> Slack mentions that the trap may reach the length of 15 cm, does anybody
> know which species are concerned by this. I have heard that there were two
> kinds of Genlisea, the terrestrial and the aquatic ones. Which one of the
> species are aquatic ; does anybody grow them at the moment, or has grown
> them in the past ? Any other information on the genus will be wellcome.
> Thank you for your help...
>
> Gilles
As I well know from field experience, Genlisea traps are
extremely difficult to collect. They are very brittle and when you try to
clean the plants for herbarium, removing all the dirt and other plant's
roots, you are always frustrated by the results. It appears to me though
that the Brazilian sub-Amazonian species all have traps that reach at
least 5 to 10cm. These are G.aurea, G.repens, G.filiformis, G.pygmaea,
G.violacea, G.lobata, and G.uncinata. At least G.aurea and especially
G.uncinata have traps which may reach and pass 15cm in length. I guess
cultivation is one of the only ways to find out how long they actually
can get.
As to being aquatic or terretrial, this is a very artificial term
for this genus, in my opinion. G.repens is almost always found below
water on streamsides or in seepages while G.aurea is usually found in
seepages where it is slightly submerged of right at the surface of the
water, though both species can grow on drier ground. Apparently,
G.guianensis, G.roraimensis, and G.sanariapoana, from northern S.America,
also grow in this flooded type of habitat. The other species mentioned
are common in humid sandy soil or mosses, though you can often find the
annuals G.pygmaea and G.filiformis covered by a thin film of water during
their growing season.
I hope this helps in some way.
Fernando Rivadavia
Sao Paulo, Brazil