Can anyone ID my Pinguicula?

[camille1585]

How could it be so hard to find in the UK??? I walk into pretty much any shop here, even the drugstore, and I find some. Your other option is collecting rainwater.

Since this is weird I did some googling, and apparently it's true, you just can't find distilled water in your country! I also came across stuff about de-ionised water being bad for anything other than car batteries.

[stefpix]

I would not trust rainwater in an urban / industrial area. Probably it collects all sort of pollutants, metals, particles that are in the air in polluted areas. I would ask some UK forum cor CPs.

I can buy 3.8 liters / 1 gallon of distilled water between $1 and $ 1.50 at drugstores, supermarkets and so on. Purified water without added minerals should work as well

[31drew31]

Your Pinguicula appears to be P. gigantea. What is the diameter of the plant? Also gigantea is one of very few pings that have glands on the top and bottom of leaves... does yours have this? Either way most Mexican pings have similar care... temperatures between 90F and 40F are fine, keep them moist during the growing season and drier during the winter. I find them to not care too much about humidity. If your plant is P. gigantea it is homophyllous, meaning there is not much change in leaf shape, and doesn't go "dormant" like other Mexican Pinguicula.

Also your struggles finding DI water is unfortunate... the UK carnivorous plant forum may be able to help you out as there is members from all over EU on the forum.

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[Rowangreen]

Camille, everything I've found says de-ionised is OK. Hope my info is OK because my flytrap has sucked up several saucerfuls!

Rainwater isn't really possible as I don't have any private outdoor space (and the access balcony outside my flat is covered...). If there's a heavy shower at a convenient time I might go out with some containers... but I doubt I'll be able to get enough that way!

P. gigantica: could be! The undersides of the leaves do look glittery, though I'm not totally sure. I think the tops are more hairy. I guess it could be another hybrid of course. Hopefully it will be more pinned down once the flower is open! (It does have two more buds too...). Also seems to have greenfly which don't seem too bothered by it being a carnivore...

[31drew31]

Just feel the undersides of the leaves.... if its slimy chances are it's gigantea, but flower will confirm.

[Wireman]

It looks a lot like P. gigantea to me. It gets huge.

Any chance you could get a R/O unit installed?

[stefpix]

Automotive stores should sell distilled water by the gallon. Here it is between 99 cents and 2 dollars per gallon. I would check for purified or reverse osmosis water. I can find hard to believe it is not available in the UK. there must be many CP growers there. I would call alos some company that sells ironing irons - they may know suppliers of distilled water.

[Rowangreen]

It may depend where you are. I'm in Central London, and don't have a car, so don't tend to get out to the big stores on the outskirts with big carparks and garages etc. I guess there's also probably a divide between those who don't have the money to have a car and those who tend to pay for people to do all the little jobs, and not many people in between who'd be buying the stuff to do jobs on their cars themselves. Though that's speculation. I doubt I'll be getting an RO unit installed for two little plants. Things I need much more first...

Anyway, here's the picture! Sorry, lost track and forgot to get it posted... It's interesting that the colour is mostly much lighter than when it was in bud. It also has a slight metalic effect. As you can see it's trying to catch a gnat... It has caught a few, but seems more prone to greenfly living quite happily on it! If it was most plants I'd give it a good wash with washing up liquid, but I have a feeling that wouldn't be a good idea with this. Not sure what to do!

I think the flower is slightly closer to Tina than gigantica, but the proportions in relation to plant size are more gigantica? I think maybe a hybrid of the two is the best bet!

[Leafmite]

For the greenfly, maybe a small pitcher plant? I bought a sundew for whitefly.
Good luck finding a good source of water. I know how it is to look everywhere for something that is said to be easy to find. All places are not the same. I think the only reason distilled water is popular here is because most 'spring water' is eventually found to come from a tap somewhere, making people a little paranoid. Distilled water is often used in science experiments...my daughter had to use it for a school project. I can't imagine you would have fun distilling your own water (tubing, tea kettle, foil, wire/clamps, bucket/jug) and it is rather amusing to think anyone would go to such pains.

[Rowangreen]

Lol. The greenfly are mostly none-winged at the moment, so I don't think it's a good enough excuse for more plants. Especially with the project and TC order I'm already about to make! I would like to get some more carnivores at some point... but I think I have to restrain myself right now! LOL