Darlingtonia Californian
Darlingtonia californica
Homeland - mountain slopes and coastal swamps of the states of California and Oregon( USA).
Darlingtonia is a perennial herbaceous plant. Leaves large to 60-80 cm long( in the room conditions usually 15-20 cm), tubular, green with purple veins, the pattern of which resembles a snake skin, in the upper part curved and forming a kind of snake head or helmet. This makes it possible to call darlingtonia in some countries - a snake plant. The top of the leaf is expanded and forms a deeply forked bifurcate drooping appendage. It prevents water from entering the jug, and the lower lobes of the appendage, in the natural conditions of growth, seem to indicate an insect path. The lower part of the leaf is narrow, sometimes the leaf blade is S-shaped.
Leaves depart from the nodes of the underground stolons, in the same place are formed and additional roots. At the bottom of the leaves-jugs is a sweet juice, and the walls are dotted with sharp strong hairs directed downwards. The method of "catching" insects is very original in darlingtonia. Attracted by the aroma of nectar and the vibrations of a brightly colored appendage, they fly into the "helmet" and then the colorless thin sections of the helmet that are defrauded by the transparent "windows") are trying to fly off and, hitting, fall to the bottom of the trap. The S-shaped form of the sheet further complicates the yield of insects. Interestingly, darlingtonia does not produce digestive enzymes, but uses "services" of bacteria that decompose the bodies of dead insects.
Darlingtonia is unusually beautiful, rather large bell-shaped flowers with brownish-purple, pink or saturated red petals, tinted with pale green sepals.
Courtship. Darlingtonia needs a semi-shaded location. The period of illumination is not less than 14 hours. The plant is extremely sensitive to high temperature, therefore it is recommended to lay out pieces of ice on the surface of the substrate. Darlingtonium can withstand the temperature - 28-30 ° C, but only if the roots are in the cold. Therefore, you should not use plastic or other impermeable pots for water and air for growing. They also should in no case be dark, much less black. Terracotta clay pots or containers are most suitable. In winter, during the rest period, the temperature is reduced to 5-10 ° C.
In the "florarium" darlingtonia can live 5-7 years.
Watering is carried out with cold soft water, usually on the surface of the substrate, immediately after a slight drying of the top layer. In winter, watered once a week. Spraying is useful. The air humidity is maintained at 79%.
The best substrate is live sphagnum, but more often use a mixture of peat, leaf land, sand and charcoal in a ratio of 2: 0.5: 0.5.
Transplant the plant once every 3 years.
If insect pests are found, it is better to use insecticidal plant infusions and infusions, as darlingtonia is very sensitive to chemical preparations, or, at the very least, to reduce their dose twice as much as recommended.
Propagate darlingtonia with stolon sections with several leaves and roots.