Pinguicula vulgaris : Common Butterwort

Scientific Name:

Kingdom: Plantae

Division:

• Tracheophyta (vascular)
• Spermatophyta (seed bearing)
Angiospermae (enclosed seed)

Class: Dicoteldonae (two seed-leaves)

Family: Lentibulariaceae (Bladderwort Family)

Genera: Pinguicula (Butterwort) (Lat. pinguis = fat; referring to the greasy appearance of the leaves.)

Species: vulgaris (Lat. vulgaris = common, ordinary;)

English Name(s):

Common Butterwort, Bog-violet, Moss Violet

First Nation Names:

Structure:

• Plants 3-16cm tall, from light-coloured fibrous roots.

Leaves:

• Basal, 12-45mm long by 8-25mm wide.
• Oblanceolate to elliptic in shape.
• Margins involute (rolled upward).

Reproductive Parts:

• Flowers solitary, nodding, atop of a glabrous, naked, scape (stalk).
• Scapes (flowering stalks) usually solitary.
• Calyx (united sepals) 3-5mm long.
• Corolla (united petals) 12-15mm long, uncluding the spur (point) at the base. Lobes oblong-ovate in shape.

Seed:

• Capsule erect, 4-6mm long, shperical.
• Seeds wrinkled and numerous.

Not to Be Confused With:

• Pinguicula villosa (Hairy Butterwort) shich is a smaller plant with a glandular-villose (glandular-hairy) scape (flower stalk).

Physiology:

• Leaves trap and then digest insects in the mucilaginous secretions on the upper surface of the leaf. They have stalked glands with a sticky secretion to trap and hold the prey. Then there are glands on the suface of the leaf which are dry until the presence of prey when they then release digestive secretions and then absorb the resulting nutrient rich fluid.
• The leaves are also capable of digesting seeds, pollen and other small organisms. They can digest an insect in about 2 days.

Life Cycle:

• Perennial from plant buds.

Seasonal Cycle:

• Blooming in mid-July

Animal Uses:

• The same species of insects that pollenate the flowers are eaten by the leaves.

Habitat:

• Moist calcarious sites. By small brooks, ponds or seepages

Modern:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food:

Traditional Gwich'in:

Folklore:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food:

Traditional Other:

Folklore:

Industrial:

• Leaves were a popular agent for bleaching hair

Medicinal:

• Leaves were used to try to kill human lice

Food:

• In scandinavia and Ireland the leaves were used to curdle milk for cheese making.
• Mixed with reindeer milk, the juice forms a type of junket which the Sami call Tatmiolk.