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A few questions on S. rubra

A couple questions regarding S. rubra.

Are all the Georgia S. rubras "ancestral" type rubras, or are there other rubra subspecies in Georgia?

Are there anthocyanin-free populations of all the rubra supspecies that been found, propagated, and distributed? I am just curious on this. I know of jonesii and gulfensis, and according to ICPS website there may be antho-free of the ancestral population. How about "regular old" rubra rubra and alabamensis?

Do any of you find that the rubras like different conditions from other Sarrs in cultivation? I have grown them from seed at different times, and the seedlings behave normally, albeit a bit slow. However, larger plants don't seem to do as well in the large, undrained plastic pots that I very successfully grow all my other Sarrs in. (Note, I am in NJ, and have a shorter growing season than many here. The pots go into an unheated garage in winter). Maybe I need to change something for them(?).
 
http://www.carnivorousplants.org/seedbank/species/S_rubra.htm (emphasis mine)
S. rubra ssp. rubra is found in the grassy coastal plains from southeastern North Carolina to northeastern Georgia usually along stream and marsh margins. In cultivation, the plants tend to be small and weedy with pitchers usually 20 to 30 cm tall. They can reach 45 cm in the wild. They have a narrow mouth width of 1.5 to 2.3 cm. Even with full sun, the pitchers of this subspecies can be quite floppy in the spring.

S. rubra ssp. gulfensis grows in seepage bogs and along small streams in northwest Florida. It has very tall pitchers in the range of 40 to 60 cm, usually the upper end of that range. The pitcher mouth is usually 2.4 to 3.5 cm wide. This subspecies is very much like a very tall and more robust S. rubra ssp. rubra although the spring pitchers are not floppy.

There is a population of S. rubra in need of proper classification as a distinct subspecies in the sand hill seepage bogs at the fall line in central Georgia. The fall line is a transition zone characterized by a sharp drop in topography resulting in streams having falls. Many very rare plants are found in this habitat. In cultivation, the S. rubra plants from this location appear to be intermediate in form between S. rubra ssp. jonesii and S. rubra ssp. gulfensis. They have the growth habit and size of S. rubra ssp. jonesii without the distinctive taxonomic characters of that subspecies. The plants are currently nicknamed "Ancestral" because they are upstream from S. rubra ssp. gulfensis and thus potentially an ancestor of that subspecies. Based on this reasoning, Don Schnell considers the central Georgia population as S. rubra ssp. gulfensis until someone officially publishes a taxonomic description of it.

S. rubra ssp. wherryi is found in the coastal plain in southwestern Alabama. In character it is intermediate between S. rubra ssp. rubra and S. rubra ssp. alabamensis. It has has slightly more robust pitchers and fewer red veins than S. rubra ssp. rubra and tends to pick up some of the yellow cast of S. rubra ssp. alabamensis. The pitchers range 28 to 43 cm tall with a 3.4 to 5.3 cm wide mouth.

S. rubra ssp. alabamensis is found in boggy soils around springs in wooded or shrubby areas along the fall line in central Alabama. This species is listed as an endangered species. You will often see it referred to as Sarracenia alabamensis by conservationists. This species tends to have fine red venation and can have a copper blush in the upper part of the pitcher. The hood tends to be yellow and the yellow cast can extend down the tube. The insides of the pitcher can have intense red venation. The upper part of the pitchers may also have faint areoles (light windows) on the back. The pitchers of this species tend to be the most robust of the group. They are usually 18 to 49 cm tall with a mouth width up to 6 cm.

S. rubra ssp. jonesii is found in mountain seepage bogs of North Carolina. It is also listed as an endangered species and known as Sarracenia jonesii to conservationists. This species is found somewhat upstream of S. rubra ssp. rubra and in many respects is a more robust form of that subspecies. Its pitchers tend to be on the order of 40 to 60 cm tall with a mouth width of 3 to 4 cm. It is distinctive in having a very long hood. The upper part of the pitcher and hood can be coppery in some selections. The species also has all red and all green forms. Many of the rare form plants in cultivation are progeny of stolen plants.

See also http://www.sarracenia.com/faq/faq5544.html

Sarracenia rubra subsp. rubra (sweet pitcher plant):
Using the restricted definition of the subspecies, as per schemes 2 and 3 above, this subspecies is restricted to southeastern North Carolina, the eastern half of South Carolina, and the northeastern portion of Georgia (nine counties) where it is state-listed as endangered.

This is a small plant, and the pitchers are 26-45 cm tall. The ala in front of the pitcher is pronounced, and the lid is long and narrow. I really like this plant because the veining is very pretty and pinstriped. The pitchers, tall, slender, and erect, evoke the image of little meerkats or prairie dogs standing upright, looking around. The flowers of this plant, like all those of the Sarracenia rubra-complex, are small, bright red, and sweet-raspberry smelling. The underside of the petals are usually green or tan with a central reddish stripe, although the undersides of some flowers are all-red.

I have read unsubstantiated rumours that an anthocyanin-free form of this plant has been found.
 
Thanks N.A.N!! Very helpful info!
 
Woodnative. I have noticed even here in GA my rubras did not do to well here in undrained containers. I lost my ancestral form and had to ask for another division. The others I has did not fair to well either. That is until I built a circ bog. Now I have a pump watering the tubs every hr for an hr. The water falls back into the reservoir oxygenating th water. Keep in mind all my other sarrs were doing great except my rubra population. I at first thought it might be because during the winter I was not keeping them wet enough, but now I think it is that and the fact that the water was stagnant and not oxygenated. How about trying to make like a water area so yo can see the water and then placing an air stone with an air pump in it to oxygenate the water or setup a circulating bog so the water oxygenates on its own. As I said once I made the bog and got it running all my rubras look fabulous!
 
my rubra didnt like being very wet either.... it acted like my red dragon VFT. the traps would come up then get black early on. i moved it to a more open mix of 1:2 peat perlite and it took off!! same with the vft :)

Alex
 
Thanks all of you. I think I will keep them separate. The circulation idea sounds good but on the meantime I will keep them in a more open mix, moist but drained.
 
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