Carnivorous Plants Website

Carnivorous Plants in the Wilderness

by Makoto Honda

Carnivorous Plants Story
Picture book for a young audience / Kindle Edition

by
Makoto Honda

Copyright (c) 2013-2017 by Makoto Honda. All Rights Reserved.

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Cobra Plant

GENUS Darlingtonia

The flower stalks grow to a height of 70 cm, holding a dangling flower at the tip. In northern California, in May.

Cobra plant blossoms continue into the night. In May, northern California.

A last year's flower capsule, with seeds already dispersed. In northern California, in May.

Cobra plant seeds, 2 mm long. Note numerous projections on the seed surface, probably intended for animal dispersal. Floating seeds in the stream may find new colonies along the water path.

Germination of the cobra plant seeds.

A year-old seedling of the cobra plant. The juvenile leaves are simple tubes with a pointed-tip, and do not show the characteristics of adult leaves.

A pointed-tip juvenile leaf of the cobra plant may give us some hint as to how the ancestors of the cobra plant might have looked like millions of years ago.

In spite of many years of investigation, we do not know for sure who the major pollinator of the cobra plant flower is. There are only limited sightings of insects actually visiting the flower. Some suspect spiders to be the major pollinator of this plant. In fact, spiders are everywhere during the blossom, both in California and Oregon.

A cobra plant pitcher with a heavy coloration, in September, in northern California.

Spider webs over cobra plant blossoms, in northern California, in May.

Flower buds of cobra plants, in early May, in northern California.

Virtually all flowers show the presence of spiders, both in California and Oregon. Some speculate the spider to be the major pollinator of the cobra plant flowers.

Cobra plant flowers - with spiders. In northern California, in May.

Spiders taking up residence in cobra plant flowers. In northern California, in May.

Changing light in the forest. Northern California, in September.

Mushrooming cobra plant leaves growing skywards. Northern California, in July.

A colorful floral display of the cobra plant blossoms, in May, in northern California.

Stately cobras surrounded by coniferous forest. In northern California, in July.

A seductive glare of a cobra plant flower, in May, in northern California. Note that the pitcher leaves seen at the time of flowering are all from the previous season. New leaves are just emerging, which will mature by July.

INTRODUCTION PITFALL TRAPS FLYPAPER TRAPS SNAP-TRAPS SUCTION TRAPS VENUS FLYTRAP SUNDEWS PITCHER PLANTS COBRA PLANT BUTTERWORTS BLADDERWORTS

For a young audience, click here for
"Eaten Alive by Carnivorous Plants" by Kathleen J. Honda & Makoto Honda

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