In: Phyton, 49 Fasc. 2 (2010), S. 279-292 with 4 figures

Summary

Adlassnig W., Mayer E., Peroutka M., Pois W. & Lichtscheidl I. K. 2010. Two American Sarracenia species as neophyta in Central Europe. – Phyton (Horn, Austria) 49 (2): 279–292, with 4 figures.

The North American carnivorous pitcher plants Sarracenia flava L. and S. purpurea L. (Sarraceniaceae) are frequently introduced to European fens. This study reviews the recent distribution of Sarracenia purpurea in Central Europe, including sites in France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic and Denmark. Establishment is almost exclusively successful in foothill areas, e. g., at the borders of the Alps or the Bohemian Massif. Invasive tendencies are only observed in Western Switzerland. S. flava is restricted to isolated sites in France.

In this study, specimens of S. flava and S. purpurea were bedded out experimentally in two fens in Austria for two growing seasons. Most plants survived; S. flava produced flowers in the second year. The higher vitality of this species may predict increased immigration in Central Europe in the future. Both species were successfully trapping prey, mainly Coleoptera, Hymenoptera and Diptera. In S. purpurea trapping was partly inhibited by low precipitations. In all traps, phytotelm communities formed spontaneously, including bacteria (up to 6 · 109 cultivable units/ml), Dipteran larvae and Acari. The inquilines seem to be involved in prey degradation such as at the natural site.