Butterwort Questions

[Plant Planter]

I recently bought a Pinguicula primuliflora and I have three questions which are:
1. When I bought it from the nursery, it already had flowers. Will these impact the plant's future health?
2. I peered at the flowers very closely and saw no female flower parts. Is this species a male/female plant, or am I just a poor observer?
3. I've heard on the Internet that it is not good to let butterworts sit in water. Is this true?
Help, please!

 

[jimscott]

I would cut the flowers off (after taking a picture, for posterity). It'll produce more. It's likely a bit weakened from both flower production and being cooped up in its shipping container. They reproduce best via plantlets that will form from its leaves. Mexican butterworts don't like to be water-logged but this is a SE plant and they can take a soggier environment.

 

[Plant Planter]

I would cut the flowers off (after taking a picture, for posterity). It'll produce more. It's likely a bit weakened from both flower production and being cooped up in its shipping container. They reproduce best via plantlets that will form from its leaves. Mexican butterworts don't like to be water-logged but this is a SE plant and they can take a soggier environment.

What happens if the flowers already have formed and bloomed?

 

[村花洛洛]

I have come to learn, ha ha）

 

[jimscott]

Cut them off.

 

[hcarlton]

P. primuliflora is an extremely prolific plant, cutting off the flowers may or may not help it, and with this species, it may just make more flowers. The best thing for it is to get it as much difused light as possible, maybe taking a leaf cutting or two to start some extra plants, and this is one butterwort that can even grow slightly submerged. Mine sit in a pot that is nearly constantly inundated with water, and they're never been happier. Also, all Pinguicula are both male and female, with the stigma being a flap just inside the corolla tube, and the anthers sit directly behind it (another note: though uncommon, you can manually self-pollinate this species, should you decide to keep the flowers).

 

[kulamauiman]

lay the cut off flower stalk in most LFS and keep covered with clear plastic wrap. it will make plantlets if you are lucky.

 

[jimscott]

It's better to remove the flowers for newly procured plants, as they are likely in a weakened state. Once you get plants acclimated and happy, flowering would be one less drain on their energy. P. primuliflora reproduces best through its plantlets, as opposed to seeds and germination.

 

[Plant Planter]

Thanks so much to everyone for your advice!
By the way, hcarlton, I was a poor observer. One of the flowers withered and I pulled off the petals; only the could I see the stigmatic surface.