Sick or Mutant Tentaculata?

[That One Guy]

Ok so my N. Tentaculata hasnt pitchered for a few months and now it has finally started pitchering. Unfortunetly, it's making these weird deformed pitchers. When I bought it, it did have a pitcher like this. I have proper HL conditions except for humidity. Humidity is about 50-60% so that might be the problem. It is making a "normal" pitcher which has a small lid so I dont know what is causing these deformed pitchers. Is it root rot? The soil doesnt look that good for neps, looks like peat, perlite, sphagnum, and sticks. Should I repot it? Has anyone ever experienced a similiar problem? Is it sick or just a very weird mutant tentaculata?

Pics of the deformed...

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/83097220@N03/8218829083/" title="IMG_0071 by That One Guy7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8346/8218829083_961d9eefd3_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_0071"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/83097220@N03/8219909926/" title="IMG_0072 by That One Guy7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8209/8219909926_3600b1936e_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_0072"></a>

Pic of a normal pitcher but just has a small lid

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/83097220@N03/8219909644/" title="IMG_0068 by That One Guy7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8349/8219909644_1299a96906_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_0068"></a>

The plant itself..

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/83097220@N03/8218828217/" title="IMG_0073 by That One Guy7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8064/8218828217_c1fe1f63b0_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_0073"></a>

Thanks!

 

[mcmcnair]

I had a ventrata do that for awhile, I'm pretty sure it happens because it is trying acclimate to conditions it hasn't been in before. It eventually put out normal pitchers again but it took it awhile. Definitely not a mutant.

 

[Nepenthesis]

I heard that was caused by low humidity. Try making it more humid in that terrarium.

 

[richjam1986]

I've had this happen on a couple plants. The main thing I can think of is humidity, but I've heard root rot can also cause this. My acclimated highland plants experience about 35-40% humidity in the daytime, and not much higher at night (maybe 50% at the HIGHEST). However most are growing fine and produce perfectly formed pitchers in this humidity, so I don't know that I would immediately assign the problem to humidity. 50-60% humidity isn't actually anything to snuff at, especially considering my conditions for most of my plants, lol.

I've had one plant in particular (N. ramispina) that grew perfectly for about two years in my low humidity conditions, making perfectly formed pitchers, and then out of nowhere it started forming pitchers like the ones in your pics, with no change in its conditions whatsoever ( that I knew of anyway). I repotted it a few months ago thinking that the problem might be that it was root bound, and the pitchers have slowly improved to near normal shape, though the lids are still a little small...

I guess the truth is that I'm not completely sure, and I'm still trying to figure it out myself, but maybe my experience has provided more info and perspective than you had.

 

[mato]

I've noticed this happens if you change the conditions of the plant suddenly while the pitcher is still forming - be it temperature, humidity, or sometimes position. Usually you'll notice that it stops inflating for a while and, for some reason, the lid doesn't continue to grow while the rest of the pitcher resumes growth, leaving a tiny lid on an otherwise normal pitcher.

As long as you leave the plant alone, it shouldn't happen.

 

[richjam1986]

I've noticed this happens if you change the conditions of the plant suddenly while the pitcher is still forming - be it temperature, humidity, or sometimes position. Usually you'll notice that it stops inflating for a while and, for some reason, the lid doesn't continue to grow while the rest of the pitcher resumes growth, leaving a tiny lid on an otherwise normal pitcher.

As long as you leave the plant alone, it shouldn't happen.

I'm sure there might be several causes for the deformation. Your explanation makes perfect sense Mato. The problem is, from my example the problem arose with NO change in conditions whatsoever, and it was previously growing well in the same conditions . Insect or mite damage can also cause deformation, so that's something to consider maybe (and yes, I've treated my plant with insecticide )