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Hey everybody that actually reads this! I've collected orchids for a while and within the last year and a half have been collecting CPs. I saw some sarracenia minor in situ and fell in love with them. Before long I had a decent collection but gravitated to nepenthes mostly only in the last 6 months. I recently traded for some as well as purchased a few. One of them was sarracenia flava ornata. In pictures I've seen they are AMA I fly cool to me. When it came out of dormancy this spring, in central Florida, and three pitchers popped up. They look nice and healthy but are solid green. Maybe a few small barely visible vein lines but not at all what I've seen. I'm assuming with age they darken. My question is do they. Slowly change or wait until a certain season to color up? My neps darken after time but I admit I don't know a lot about sarracenia. They get full sun all dY in Florida so it's damn sure a lack of light! Thanks in advance if u made it to the end of this rambling crap!! You're awesome.
 
Yes Sarracenia pitchers will often look a bit plain when they first open, then color up over time. I am unfamiliar specifically with Sarracenia flava var. ornata though. In some plants, Sarracenia leucophylla especially, the fall pitchers look significantly better than the spring pitchers as well.
 
:pics: might help us see what you have, flava ornata or another form of flava. S. flava ornata has a lot of variation between plants, some have very heavy veining and some less so, but veining should be present regardless even in spring.

Here are a couple pics of what my S. flava ornata look like right now with new pitchers just opening if that is any help. The last pic is what they looked like last year toward the end of May.

26557233952_f29fbcfdd8.jpg
[/url]S. flava ornata, NC by Djoni C, on Flickr[/IMG]
26584963381_f37d6e359e.jpg
[/url]Flava ornata, NC by Djoni C, on Flickr[/IMG]

Last year toward the end of May
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[/url]flava ornata, North Carolina 2 by Djoni C, on Flickr[/IMG]
 
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The line between var. flava and var. ornata can be a fuzzy one where mildly-veined plants are concerned, so it may well be you ended up with an intergrade or a form of the former. Some plants do darken with age and more veins become visible, others don't, depends on the individual clone AND the growing conditions (lower lighting or cooler conditions and you may not see great color, but that doesn't appear to be the issue if you live in FL and have them in full sun). Also, if you only recently got it and these are its first pitchers since being placed in its new home, it may still be adjusting and may not color up for a full season, as is common with some heavily veined ornatas or the red varieties. In all, depends on the plant, depends on the conditions.
Oh, and S. flava typically is only a spring pitcher producer; the rest of the year are dominated by phyllodia, unless you get one of the more vigorous clones that do occasionally send up fall pitchers (or, like me, have such weird weather that they pitcher all summer anyway).
 
As I recall according to McPherson and Schnell the dividing line of Sarracenia flava var ornata is the presence of veining on the outside of the tube.

Intensity of coloration is dependent on genetic predisposition as well as environmental factors such as light, temperatures (day and night), and who knows what.
 
Thank you for answering. There are definetly veins on the outside. They are just very faint. Like I said I wasn't worried, more curious how/when it happens. I have a large sarracenia Leah Wilkerson that shows some of it's colors as the pitcher tube is growing/forming. Thanks again for the help
 
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