Sarraceniaceae (Darlingtonia, Heliamphora, Sarracenia) - the American Pitcher Plants

Three genera make up the family Sarraceniaceae: the monotypic Darlingtonia californica or Cobra Lily of the U.S. Pacific northwest, the table-top mountain dwelling South American genus Heliamphora, and the primarily U.S. eastern seaboard species in the genus Sarracenia.  Many of these species have been propagated in vitro for years with few publications regarding technique.  All three genera are easily propagated from fresh seed, essential for Heliamphora.  Darlingtonia and Sarracenia seed require cold stratification to break seed dormancy, a process that adds approximately 4 weeks to the culture process.  In addition to culture from seed, rhizome and meristem culture techniques have been developed, and our lab will soon offer propagation services of Sarracenia from flowers.       

Uhnak, K. S.  2003.  Micropropagation of carnivorous plants.  Ph. D. dissertation,

        University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, 217 p.

Withner, C. L.  1964.  Notes on the cultivation of insectivorous plants in vitro.

        Torreya.  91: 412 - 413.