Henleisei the Violet
Genlisea violaceae
The Henleses usually lead.terrestrial way of life. These are rootless perennial herbaceous plants with many green round or oval leaves up to 20 cm long and 9 cm wide, forming an almost flat rosette. Below these normal photosynthetic leaves there are leaf-traps, rather complicated.
Perhaps, the henlisei has the most interesting mechanism for catching victims. In some species, the traps formed separately from the vegetative leaves penetrate deeply into the soil, sometimes up to 25 cm. The narrow, rather long tube has thickenings resembling a small bulb, after which the tube is divided into two spiral twisted processes, the entrance to which opens with a thin slit. The inner walls are covered with bristles, which cause the victim to move in the direction from one thickening to the other. Inside are also digestive enzymes.
The henlise has unusually spectacular flowers, small flowers that develop on a long peduncle - up to 15 cm in height. In form they resemble a butterfly and are colored in a pinkish-purple, purple, sometimes saturated blue color.
Courtship. Genlisee needs bright diffuse light, without direct sunlight. The duration of the light period of the day is not less than 14 hours during the whole year. When grown in a paludarium, lighting is recommended using four fluorescent lamps.
The daily temperature is 20-25 ° С, the night temperature is 15-20 ° С.Humidity of air - not less than 80-90%.
The greatest problems arise when watering. Some authors recommend a radical way: to place the pot with the plant in a larger diameter vessel with water so that on the surface of the substrate there is always a thin layer of water. Others believe that such a level should be created only 2-3 times a week, and all the rest of the time the substrate should be maintained in a wet state. In winter and autumn, the water level in the outer vessel is reduced, so that it is not more than 1/4 the height of the pot.
As a substrate, use a mixture of peat soil and sand in a ratio of 4: 1.
Propagation of the Henleyeya mainly by leaf cuttings, sometimes for this use parts of traps.