Another species:
I arrived at this last site late in
the day. It was again along a powerline right-of-way.
According to the literature, Virginia plants
are classified as the southern subspecies,
Sarracenia purpurea subsp. venosa. The northern subspecies
(Sarracenia purpurea subsp. purpurea) only occurs as far
south as New Jersey. Nonetheless, the
plants at this location had characters similar to both subspecies.
For example, this plant had the frilly
hood of the southern subspecies. However, the hood was smaller than those
of plants along the Carolina coasts, but larger than in
plants I have seen from the Great Lakes areas.
The outer surface was slightly, but not particularly fuzzy. Altogether,
I would indeed classify them as from the southern subspecies, but I had
my reservations. Did the influence of
Sarracenia purpurea subsp. purpurea get down this far? Or did
someone transplant New Jersey plants here?
Alas, the sun was setting, so I had to leave to head north. I had hoped to
drop in on some other Virginia carnivorous plant folks, but had poorly
estimated the time. So I jumped back in my car, drank three quarts of
Gatorade, and drove north to D.C.
I was amazed at how filthy the rental car was! I would have to complain
to the rental agency. How dare they rent me such an atrocity!
The next two days were spent in dreary meetings. I'll skip them
(I doubt you're interested), and proceed directly to
the New Jersey trip.
