''Pinguicula longifolia'', commonly known as the long-leaved butterwort, is a perennial carnivorous subalpine plant of the Central
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to C ...
, found on both sides of the border. It catches its prey by using its modified leaves that lie on the ground and have “densely covered stalked glands that bear a droplet of sticky mucilage on its top.”
The need to capture
arthropods
Arthropods (, (gen. ποδός)) are invertebrate animals with an exoskeleton, a Segmentation (biology), segmented body, and paired jointed appendages. Arthropods form the phylum Arthropoda. They are distinguished by their jointed limbs and Arth ...
is driven by the lack of nutrients present in the soil. ''P. l.'' subsp. ''longifolia'' obtain their nutrition primarily from flying insects, mainly
diptera
Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced ...
, which replenished the carnivorous plant with nitrogen. ''P. l.'' subsp. ''longifolia'' grows in wet shady areas and on vertical or overhanging limestone walls. It has been found at altitudes between 700 – 1900 meters. In the spring, the winter buds open and the first carnivorous leaves present themselves. These leaves are then followed by the flowers in early summer. Throughout summer the leaves can grow up to 14 cm in length and have glands present on both sides of the leaves, which is highly characteristic of ''P. l.'' subsp. ''longifolia''. More carnivorous leaves arise throughout summer, and when the conditions become unfavourable, around autumn, a protective winter casing composed of scale like leaves is produced, in the centre of the rosette, called the
hibernacula, also known as the plant bud. The leaves halt production and the old leaves wither and decay; ''P. l.'' subsp. ''longifolia'' is now ready for the winter dormancy. There must be optimal growth during the summer for ''P. l.'' subsp. ''longifolia'', otherwise they produce weakened hibernacula which rot very easily.
The endemicity of this subspecies in the Pyrenees is a problem as
habitat destruction
Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...
could lead to reduced space to propagate on. ''P. l.'' subsp. ''longifolia'' are also threatened by carnivorous plant enthusiasts who collect rare specimens. The genus ''Pinguicula'' has been known to have many human uses, as they produce a strong bactericide, which prevents captured insects from rotting while digestion occurs. This beneficial property has been known by Europeans for centuries, as application of the bactericide to wounds of cattle encourages healing. Furthermore, the leaves have been used to curdle goat’s milk into
Filmjölk
(), also known as , is a traditional fermented milk product from Sweden, and a common dairy product within the Nordic countries. It is made by fermenting cow's milk with a variety of bacteria from the species ''Lactococcus lactis'' and ''Leuconos ...
, a Swedish fermented milk product.
References
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*Izard, M. (ed) 1985, Vegetation des Pyrenees.
*Joint Nature Conservation Committee, The Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats. Available: http://www.jncc.gov.uk/page-136417 Oct 2007].
*
*Schnittler, M., Koppel, C., Rennwald, E. & Hirneisen, N. (2001
European National Red Lists of threatened Vascular Plants Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, Strasbourg.
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3012071
Carnivorous plants of Europe
longifolia
Flora of France
Flora of Spain
Plants described in 1805