The Carnivorous Plant Society - Darlingtonia Californica

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Darlingtonia Californica

Saturday, 11 October 2008

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Darlingtonia Californica

Plant Genus: Darlingtonia Californica

Common Name: The Cobra Lily

Number of Species: 1

Place(s) found naturally: Northwest U.S.A. & Western Canada

Darlingtonia californica (Sarraceniaceae)

Cobra Lily

Darlingtonia californica is also known as the Cobra Lily or Cobra plant. This is because the hood looks like a Cobra with its head expanded, ready to strike. It even has, what looks like, a forked tongue coming from its mouth. Darlingtonia californica belongs to the family Sarraceniaceae, in which the genera Sarracenia and Heliamphora are found. The leaves are mostly green, but when grown in full sun, they have a red colouration. There are only two forms of this species. The most common of which is the typical form, with a reddish, purple flower resembling that of the Snake's Head Fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris). The other form, which is rare, is Darlingtonia californica 'Othello', which has a yellow flower.

Darlingtonia Californica

The trap is a twisted, upright tube, which ends in a bulbous dome. It has nectar glands to attract prey towards the mouth or opening, which is underneath the dome. The top of the dome has many translucent areas, which let light through. These are designed to fool an insect into thinking there are escape routes out of the dome. The tube is lined with many downward pointing hairs. The prey slides down these hairs to the bottom. (See drawing) Similar to others in the family Sarraceniaceae, Darlingtonia produces a fluid in its trap, but unlike the rest, it does not have any known enzymes or wetting agents in the liquid to begin with. However, when the pitchers have trapped many insects, the fluid appears to include a wetting agent. The leaves or traps are mainly evergreen, but as the traps get full of insects, the leaves tend to die. The height of a mature Darlingtonia is from 6 inches to 2 feet.

Cobra Lily With Flowers

Darlingtonia californica grows in the northeastern states of California and Oregon in the USA. The plant grows in ground that has water running through it, primarily beside mountain streams. It can tolerate a wide range of temperatures, but in all cases, the roots of the plant are in cool, wet ground. Darlingtonia can tolerate snow and ice, as well as hot summer heat to about 27c.

Cultivation of Darlingtonia californica is not difficult, as long as the roots are kept cool and damp. It is possible to grow this plant outside all year round. The soil mixture is made up of sphagnum moss peat, silver sand (lime free), perlite and live sphagnum moss. Place 1 or 2 inches of perlite at the bottom of the pot, add a ½ inch layer of sphagnum moss peat, then a mix of 1 part peat, 1

Cobra Lily

part silver sand and 1 part perlite. Top it off with live sphagnum moss. This mixture simulates the open sub soil found in the wild. The live moss helps to keep the roots and rhizome shady and moist. Another option is to use a mixture of lime free grit and sphagnum moss peat. It can also be grown in live sphagnum moss. This plant requires a cool night temperature. Darlingtonia sends out runners beneath the soil, so a large pot is advisable. These plantlets can be separated, once they have developed their own root systems and then potted up to make new plants. Darlingtonia seeds freely, but it takes time for seedlings to mature. The plantlets are the quicker option.

For more plant information check out Rick Walker's CP Database

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