> There seems to be a
>particular tropical species called P. utricularioides. Where does this name
>come from, and what does this plant look like ?
_Pinguicula utricularioides_, collected only once and described quite
recently by ZAMUDIO & RZEDOWSKI, is rather certainly one of the most
spectacular and intriguing species in this genus. It shows at least two
"utricularioid" features (reminiscent of _Utricularia_). The first, more
obvious one is the leaves of the "summer" (?) rosette which are long
petiolate and which have a deeply spoon shaped lamina, almost bladder-like
and somewhat resembling _Utricularia_ traps (especially those of the
assumedly primitive rosetted members of sectt. Polypompholyx-Pleiochasia)
in outline and their position on the plant. The leaves of the "winter" (?)
rosette being flat and "normal". The second feature is somewhat more obscre
but perhaps more significant regarding systematic affiliations: The (2)
lobes of the lower calyx lip are almost entirely fused with each other, a
condition we meet again in _Utricularia_ (where both calyx lips consist of
the fused lobes).
Thus, this species might represent a (close?) descendant from an extinct
link between the three lentibulariaceous genera. Note that S Mexico (_P.u._
was found near Niltepec in Oaxaca) is close to areas where all three genera
occur together even nowadays (with none of the allegedly most primitive
members of _Utricularia_, however).
The scarlet red corolla (with a very pronounced tube, like in _P.laueana_)
must be rather showy in vivo.
Unfortunately, the habitat of _P.u._ is difficult to reach, and this
interesting species still awaits introduction into cultivation.
Kind regards
Jan