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Flower colour variation of Utricularia quelchii


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Further to my post on Ptari Tepui, here are a few photos showing the amazing colour variation of U. quelchii flowers. All of the plants were photographed on Mt. Roraima. I have been growing this species for 20 years (the same plant) and it has never flowered for me. To see it in flower in the wild was just amazing.

A typical pink colour

Utricularia_quelchii._Amuri_Tepui_4.JPG

Orange, red and pink

Utricularia_quelchii._Mt._Roraima_2.JPG

Red, with hint of orange and pink

Utricularia_quelchii._Mt._Roraima_4.JPG

Pink with a red centre

Utricularia_quelchii._Mt._Roraima_5.JPG

Pure red

Utricularia_quelchii._Mt._Roraima_9.JPG

Red and pink

Utricularia_quelchii._Mt._Roraima_11.JPG

And here is the plant growing in sphagnum moss over the sandstone bedrock

Utricularia_quelchii_colony._Auyan_1.JPG

Here are a few photos of the similar, though much smaller Utricularia campbelliana. My plant of this flowers every year.

Utricularia_campbelliana._Mt._Roraima_10.JPG

Utricularia_campbelliana._Mt._Roraima_5_enhanced.jpg

Utricularia_campbelliana._Mt._Roraima_6.JPG

And the HUGE Utricularia humboldtii on Auyan Tepui

Utricularia_humboldtii_on_Auyan_Tepui_2.JPG

I hope you have enjoyed these.

Cheers

Andy

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Hi Andy,

wow, great pictures of some of the nicest Utricularia flowers. :P

Really a big variation in the flower colour, the form of the flower seems also to be slightely different.

What about the size of the different U. quelchii flowers, are they nearly identical?

A longer time ago i´ve seen pictures of another grower from germany. Some of the flowers have been even nearly orange in colour, but as far as i remember they have had a different location.

Is U. quelchii growing near to U. campbelliana on Mt. Roraima?

What about the leafes of these U. quelchii, are they also different?

Could some of the plants perhaps be hybrids between both of them?

Sorry for so many questions. :sun_bespectacled:

Many thanks for sharing.

Best regards,

Dani

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I agree with Dani that there may be some hybridization going on there.... On Neblina they were quite distinct, with quelchii always being pink and campbelliana always being red (although another group found some orange-yellow ones).

Anywas, thanks for the lovely pics!!! :)

Best wishes,

Fernando

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Hi Dani and Fernando

An interesting point - the only red-flowered forms of U. quelchii were seen on Roraima. The U. quelchii on the other mountains were always pink, like in the first photo. When I saw the first red flowers, I too thought that maybe there was some hybridization going on. As far as I can remember, all of the flowers were roughly the same size, although the flower stalks were longer on those plants from mountains other than Roraima. The Roraima forms did only seem to have one flower per scape (like U. campbelliana) while the pink-flowered plants on other mountains often had several flowers per scape. The two species did grow in close proximity to each other on Roraima, sometimes even side by side. We did find what looked like a small-leaved form of U. quelchii (the largest leaves were only 2cm tall) in a deep gully on Amuri Tepui but unfortunately it was not in flower.

Maybe Andreas Fleischmann can shed some light onto these possible hybrids?

Many, many other species of the smaller Utrics and Genlisea were seen, but alas my photographic skills are not up to scratch.

Cheers

Andy

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Utric hybrids are extremely rare! I've been familiar with dozens of Utric sites in the NJ Pine Barrens (and elsewhere) that host many species of Utrics, many of them growing commingled or within very close proximity to each other, for well over 30 years and have yet to find a single Utric hybrid anywhere! - Rich

Edited by rsivertsen
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Not sure about that, Rich - but there may be more hybrids than we believe to be.

The most common Utricularia here in middle Europe is U. australis, and this is very likely of hybrid origin (i.e http://www.amjbot.org/cgi/content/abstract/92/3/469 )

And it may depend on the section. The Orchidioides section is well known to produce hybrids in cultivation very easily. And many so called species (like i.e. U. asplundii `Duida`) may be just hybrids as well.

Especially with campbelliana and quelchii the story may be even more complex. Two very conspicuous, red, big flowers in the same habitat may attract the same pollinator.

There are two German growers who grow (and flower) many different clones of U. campbelliana (and quelchii). And when I had a look at the distinctive features of their flowers (i.e. size of upper calyx vs. upper corolla) I got totally lost. None seemed to mach the species description well.

Well - Andreas Fleischmann has a different opinion about that - I am sure he will let us know :tu:

Regards

Martin

Edit: I forgot to say Andy - but there where 8AT LEAST PARTIALLY) red U. quelchii on Ptari as well ;-)

80792473.jpg

Edited by Martin Hingst
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