Sarracenia oreophila

Species of carnivorous plant

Sarracenia oreophila, also known as the green pitcherplant, is a carnivorous plant in the genus Sarracenia. It has highly modified leaves in the form of pitchers that act as pitfall traps for prey. The narrow pitcher leaves are tapered tubes that rise up to from the ground, with a mouth in circumference Like all the Sarracenia, it is native to North America. Sarracenia oreophila is the most endangered of all Sarracenia species, its range limited to a handful of sites in northern Alabama, North Carolina, Georgia, and—historically—Tennessee.

Saracenia oreophila takes its name from the mountainous regions where it grows. The generic name Sarracenia is from Michel Sarrazin [1659–1734], a French Canadian naturalist who first described a specimen of the genus, and oreophila literally means "mountain loving," from Greek oreophilos (oros, eos, "mountain," + philos, "loving").

Like other members of the genus Sarracenia, the green pitcher plant traps insects using a tubular rolled leaf which collects digestive juices at the bottom. The pitcher tube of this species is similar to that of Sarracenia flava, but has a wider pitcher mouth and neck and is usually somewhat shorter, reaching only 60 cm. (24 in). The uppermost part of the leaf is flared into a lid (the operculum), which prevents excess rain from entering the pitcher and diluting the digestive secretions within. The upper regions of the pitcher are covered in short, stiff, downwards pointing hairs, which serve to guide insects alighting on the upper portions of the leaf towards the opening of the pitcher tube. The opening of the pitcher tube is retroflexed into a 'nectar roll' or peristome, whose surface is studded with nectar secreting glands. Prey entering the tube find that their footing is made extremely uncertain by the smooth, waxy secretions found on the surfaces of the upper portion of the tube. Insects losing their footing on this surface plummet to the bottom of the tube, where a combination of digestive fluid, wetting agents and inward pointing hairs prevent their escape. Some large insects (such as wasps) have been reported to escape from the pitchers on occasion by chewing their way out through the wall of the tube. Pitchers can vary from all green plants to lightly and heavily veined examples, as well as cultivars with heavily pigmented throats. Traps also take on a pink or red flush as they age.

Green pitcherplants are listed as Endangered on the United States Endangered Species Act and there is an Action Plan for their recovery. The Recovery Plan focuses on the effective protection of existing populations, as the most important threat to the future of the green pitcher plant is over collection. Collection is banned by legislation within the United States. The species is listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), meaning commercial international trade in wild sourced specimens (including parts and derivatives) is prohibited, while non commercial international trade is regulated. Ex situ conservation measures are also in place; seeds are stored at the USDA National Seed Technology Laboratory in Fort Collins, and Atlanta Botanical Garden is propagating plants from seeds for future reintroduction programmes.