Alpine Butterwort (Plants of Abisko National Park)

Alpine Butterwort

Pinguicula alpina

Summary ⁷

Pinguicula alpina, also known as the alpine butterwort, is species of carnivorous plant native to high latitudes and altitudes throughout Eurasia. It is one of the most widespread Pinguicula species, being found in mountainous regions from Iceland to the Himalayas. Native to cold climates, it is a temperate species, forming prostrate rosettes of green to red leaves and white flowers in the summer and a tight hibernaculum during a period of winter dormancy in the winter

General description ⁸

Herb, perennial, overwintering by a resting bud; bud ovoid. Leaves shortly petiolate; leaf blade pale green, elliptic-oblong to lanceolate-oblong, 1.5-4.5 cm long, 0.8-2 cm wide, abaxially glabrous, secondary veins 5-7 on each side of midvein, base broadly cuneate, margin involute, apex obtuse to rounded. Flowers 2-6, from generative rosette. Pedicel 4-12 cm long, glabrous, apical part enlarged in fruit. Calyx parted from base into 2 lips, glabrous; lower lip 2-lobed, lobes obovate; upper lip 3-lobed, lobes triangular-ovate. Corolla mostly white with 1 or more yellow spots on palate; tube shortly funnelform-tubular, outside glabrous, inside puberulous; spur yellowish, cylindric, straight, as long as corolla tube, apex rounded; lobes of lower lip circular to broadly ovate, apex rounded to obtuse; lobes of upper lip broadly ovate to suborbicular, apex obtuse. Filaments curved; anther thecae confluent. Ovary globose; style short but distinct; stigma lower lip circular and ciliate, upper lip deltoid. Capsule ovoid-oblong, glabrous. Seeds narrowly ellipsoid; seed coat with small prominent elongate reticulations.