Albany Pitcher Plant (Cephalotus) General Information

        Cephalotus Follicularis is an absolute standout amongst all the carnivorous plants. The unique shape and striking coloration makes these plants instantly the center of attention to those not familiar with them. The moccasin-like shape trap and the slightly translucent windows in the lids of younger specimens aren't unlike most other pitcher plant species. Whats remarkable, Cephalotus evolved the pitcher shape and it's carnivorous behavior completely independent of any existing pitcher plants.

Etymology

        The name Cephalotus is a combination of the Greek words for head and ear. This is referring to the way the anthers form on the flowers of the plants. The species name of Follicularis means “of the follicle (or hair)” likely refers to the hairs present on the pitcher. Together, it can be translated as “hairy head ear”. Not exactly the most accurate description, but it works!

Botanical History

First collected in 1801 and 1802, the first record of this plant comes from Robert Brown during the visit of HMS Investigator to King George Sound. It wasn't until 1806 that Jacques Labillardiere published the first description of the species. Brown had erroneous thought Labillardiere had visited the site 10 years prior to him, which is why he did not publish the species. Initially, Cephalotus was placed in the family Rosaceae, but further specimens in the 1820's led Robert Brown to placing the genus into it's own family of Cephalotaceae.

Habitat & Behavior

        Cephalotus are found in primarily in laterite sands of South Western Australia that is acidic, usually near a river or other flowing water supply. Famously, the most well known site is right on the beach. The Cephalotus grow on the cliffside among a wide arrangement of plants like grasses, small shrubs, Utricularia, and Drosera. Typically, the Cephalotus grow in areas near the seeps running down the cliffside. These areas tend to provide them less tall competition for sunlight.

        This location is not the norm for all the sites. They can occur inland around small pools. Again it must be reiterated that these pools usually have some element of flowing water. Cephalotus will tend to be found in areas with a lot of sun exposure, but competition can be present. Due to how far south they grow, Cephalotus commonly will experience colder temperatures than most other well known carnivorous plant families. During these periods, a slow down in growth similar to dormancy occurs. The marked difference is that Cephalotus usually continuing growing as freezing temperatures are exceedingly rare for them to witness.

        The traps are some of the most interesting in the entire plant kingdom. The toothy peristome that lines the entrance to the pitcher secretes nectar to attract prey. Likewise, the interior of the lid produces nectar to entice prey further into the trap. The window-like translucent structures in the lid give prey a false sense that the interior is much more open than it seems. Once prey falls in, the teeth and shape prevent escape and digestion begins.

Issues Facing Genus

        Cephalotus suffer the same issue that almost every other carnivorous plant faces, human development. The growing population of Australia is actively developing land for all kinds of use, with little regard to populations of rare plants that may be there. While Cephalotus are relatively protected, they are still susceptible to water table changes from nearby developments, even if large portions of their habitat are actively preserved. This makes for an incredibly complex and difficult situation for future conservation, requiring many different sciences to come up with a lasting solution.

 

Section Breakdown

        Cephalotus are interesting for being a shining example of convergent evolution in carnivorous plants. They exist in their own family of Cephalotaceae, under Rosaceae. This means they're more closely related to Apples and Oaks than other carnivorous plants! Nepenthes and the family of Sarraceniaceae are also separated. This means the Pitcher Trap design evolved independently at least three times. This explains why Cephalotus have a rather unique appearance compared to other Pitcher Plants.

 

Lifecycle

        Life for Cephalotus begins in the spring as the cold weather gives way to warmer weather. Australian winters are not as cold, so this can be seen as a light cold stratification period. Seedlings have to balance growing non-carnivorous leaves and small traps to meet their nutritional needs. The non-carnivorous leaves focus mainly on producing sugars, while the traps are more specialized for absorbing nutrition. The smaller traps produced during the seedling stage have much more noticeable “windows” in the lids. This is likely because they prioritize smaller prey more vulnerable to the window shape design.

        Late summer sees the largest spurt of growth, as the plants try to maximize their available resources before winter slows growth. 1-3 years of growth can be required for a plant to start producing the larger “mature” pitchers most commonly seen in pictures. At this point, the plant is near flowering maturity. Spring is when flowers are common, with seeds reaching maturity throughout late summer and into the fall. This ensures the winter weather and warming spring will stimulate the next generation of plant's growth.