> You have to be careful when you start proposing specific or sub specific
> status. Plants of S. rubra ssp Wherryi can be very variable throughout the
> range, as indeed can populations of many of the other Sarracenia species.
Yeah, *species* of Sarracenia can be very variable indeed.
There doesn't seem to be as much variation in S.rubra rubra and
I think that's because it's placed at the right rank.
It seems you know more about this one than I. I wish the CP books
had more info on it. Still though, I really haven't seen much
variation in S.rubra wherryi in the wild or captive, which were from
different locations than the plants I saw wild. Of course, there
are many more locations to see and these are often kept quiet.. So
my knowledge is quite limited but I hope to learn more and the best
way to that would visit more widely seperated sites, which I'd like
to have the chance to do. The changes I did note were color from
pale green with bronze tinting too dark green with purple over tones
as well some differences in the colored veining on the pitchers
though I haven't payed much mind to coloration of mouths of the
pitchers. And different POPulations have different heights/sizes
which I really doubt these are a result of hybridizing with other
species but rather the seperate POPs have done their own evolving
after wherryi branched off from rubra subsp. XXXXX.
> As I understand it to award a sub specific status to a section of plants
> you need to prove that there exists populations of that form which vary
> from the type in a consistent and distinct way.
Ok, you're right, a subsp. rank within wherryi is too much. But with
more information it might prove to be a species of it's own with a
variation rank in there somewhere. Probablied help if the size
differences also show up in flowers which I haven't seen on the big
ones yet. (maybe next year as I received only a wee piece of a large
one last fall).
Dave Evans
P.S.
Please note I'm not an expert on S.rubra in the slightest and
(the above may just be mad ravings) would really love to hear
someone who is.