FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

I've recently bought this plant (it's still very small, maybe 2 cm) and now I am reading everything about it. What I can't find out is how to recognize carnivorous leaf than non-carnivorous leaf? I can't seem to find it anywhere. I don't know where to put food on and which leaf can I remove for propagation. Thanks in advance

Hey Elaol, the difference between the carnivorous and non-carnivorous leaves will become fairly obvious once it's time for the plant to change its growth habits. Your Mexican Pinguicula should only produce non-carnivorous leaves when it's entering the winter rest period/dry season; these leaves are flat, almost completely smooth and have no edges on them. The carnivorous leaves are wider, sticky with mucus and often have a slightly curled edge. You can also do leaf pullings using carnivorous leaves, but non-carnivorous ones are easier to manage.

These P. esseriana are growing carnivorous leaves; you can see the curled edges.


This is also a P. esseriana, it is growing non-carnivorous (or "succulent") leaves.


Please pardon the slight blurriness of the photos, these are from a year or two ago. I'll see about getting some clearer shots this winter for future reference. I have another photo of my old P. laueana in its succulent stage if you'd like to see it, it really isn't a good quality image though.

Grey wrote:Hey Elaol, the difference between the carnivorous and non-carnivorous leaves will become fairly obvious once it's time for the plant to change its growth habits. Your Mexican Pinguicula should only produce non-carnivorous leaves when it's entering the winter rest period/dry season; these leaves are flat, almost completely smooth and have no edges on them. The carnivorous leaves are wider, sticky with mucus and often have a slightly curled edge. You can also do leaf pullings using carnivorous leaves, but non-carnivorous ones are easier to manage.

These P. ehlersiae are growing carnivorous leaves; you can see the curled edges.


This is also a P. ehlersiae, it is growing non-carnivorous (or "succulent") leaves.


Please pardon the slight blurriness of the photos, these are from a year or two ago. I'll see about getting some clearer shots this winter for future reference. I have another photo of my old P. laueana in its succulent stage if you'd like to see it, it really isn't a good quality image though.

Thanks! I would like that picture even if it's blurry

You're welcome, and sure thing. The P. laueana is in the pink circle.

You can see how tightly compacted the leaves are, not all Mexican pings compact this tightly when in their succulent stage but it's a good example of the leaves I'm talking about. Now, the blue circle is actually Pinguicula ehlersiae, I got my species mixed up. The photos in my previous post are actually P. esseriana, I've edited the post to amend that. Not sure how I got the two mixed up... especially considering the plants in the photo have a tag but HEY! We're all allowed to derp out.

I found another photo of the same tub of pings but later in the year; all of these plants (except the P. emarginata, which is blurry and looking sickly in this second photo) are going into their succulent stage, hence the leaf die-off. The pink circle is the P. laueana and the blue circle is the P. ehlersiae, you can see a distinct difference between the two photos.

Grey wrote:You're welcome, and sure thing. The P. laueana is in the pink circle.

You can see how tightly compacted the leaves are, not all Mexican pings compact this tightly when in their succulent stage but it's a good example of the leaves I'm talking about. Now, the blue circle is actually Pinguicula ehlersiae, I got my species mixed up. The photos in my previous post are actually P. esseriana, I've edited the post to amend that. Not sure how I got the two mixed up... especially considering the plants in the photo have a tag but HEY! We're all allowed to derp out.

I found another photo of the same tub of pings but later in the year; all of these plants (except the P. emarginata, which is blurry and looking sickly in this second photo) are going into their succulent stage, hence the leaf die-off. The pink circle is the P. laueana and the blue circle is the P. ehlersiae, you can see a distinct difference between the two photos.

I see, this helped a lot Leaves on my plant are like the bottom photo. I don't understand why since it's summer. Although I see some leaves with a hint of white edge and some "hair". Now I'm going to pluck one leaf and put it in pot

I wish you the utmost success with your leaf pulling! They're typically really easy to do, they strike with great success. Sometimes Mexican Pinguicula will enter their succulent stage in summer, which doesn't make that much sense but I guess it depends on the plant. My P. laueana stayed succulent for months, even into spring and summer.

Grey wrote:I wish you the utmost success with your leaf pulling! They're typically really easy to do, they strike with great success. Sometimes Mexican Pinguicula will enter their succulent stage in summer, which doesn't make that much sense but I guess it depends on the plant. My P. laueana stayed succulent for months, even into spring and summer.

Thanks! I will wait a few days until I pull the leaf since plant was repotted 2 days ago