Beautiful Nepenthes in Situ.

[gixrj18]

Well, I'm pretty sure these are in the Nepenthes family. I took a little trip to the Florida pan-handle (just east of Pensacola) for Christmas, to visit my step-father. He lives on a small spring-fed tributary of the Black River (or it might be Black Water River, I don't remember). While kayaking down the river looking for orchids to photograph, I noticed these beautiful Nepenthes (or pitcher plants) were growing all down the banks of this small river, pretty abundantly. Since I couldn't find any orchids, I made sure I got plenty of pictures of these beauties. I even found some with spiders living inside, which eat bugs that fall in, and help with the digestive process of the pitcher plant....the spider eats the bug, and fertilizes the plant (a symbiotic relationship). They had already flowered, and were dropping seeds everywhere. So, I didn't get to see any orchids, but the carnivores were in abundance. I saw a beaver also, for the first time, but he submerged before I was able to draw my camera. Here's some pics for you guys suffering in the snow....and I'm not trying to rub it in, I'm just trying to give you a quick escape, visually anyway!2008_12270004 (Small).JPG2008_12270014 (Small).JPG2008_12270015 (Small).JPG2008_12270016 (Small).JPG2008_12270020 (Small).JPG2008_12270023 (Small).JPG2008_12270030 (Small).JPG2008_12270031 (Small).JPG2008_12270034 (Small).JPG2008_12270039 (Small).JPG

[gixrj18]

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...and there was still plenty of downed trees left over from Hurricane Ivan, a few years ago. My step-father has a stack of cypress, and other woods, that he had milled down to use for custom woodwork around his house. It was all from downed hurricane-blown trees. These two grew through a dock before they went over.
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[Royal]

Very neat, Jasen! Those are actually Sarracenia. The only ones native here are the S. alata, but I bet you have a bunch of other ones down in FL.

Remember this spot and go back in the spring and summer. The same areas that support these pitcher plants will also sometimes have some cool bog orchids. I know FL has Calopogon, Pagonia, and a bunch of Plantanthera species. This looks like a prime spot for these guys.

[breeindy]

Neps are the hanging pitcher plants, yes these a sarracenias, look like s.leucophylla (white top pitcher) or crosses of this. I think the spiders rob the pitcher of there bugs???, they build a web over the mouth. I always get them out of mine.

[ronaldhanko]

Spectacular!

[Paul]

nice pics, Jasen!

As has already been mentioned, these are not Neps but Sarrs. To the best of my knowledge, there are no Neps native to the Americas ... they are Old World plants

The relationship between the spiders living in the pitchers and the plant itself is labeled as commensalism -- a relationship in which one party benefits and the other is not significantly harmed or helped

[Ross]

It is for sure Crimson Pitcher Plant Sarracenia leucophylla cPanel® and, of course my personal favorite: where it is in blossom.

[Lagoon]

I've always though pitchers had a magical look to them - Just stunning!

[gixrj18]

Thank you all....and thanks for the correction, I'm not very knowledgeable on this genus. It was really neat seeing these in the wild, as plentiful as they were.

[breeindy]

I also grow carnivorous plants as well as orchids and have heaps of sarra's and nep's.