FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

I mean I think I've seen some registered Cultivars of nepenthes and Drosera before, but how come flytraps can be so different and mutated? Why are they more likely to make wacky traps then Pitcher plants or Drosera (which, if anyone has had plants other than flytraps with mutations before, please share!) ? And what would it look like if they did? Are flytraps just more susceptible to mutating? If so, would they just go ballistic if you exposed them to just enough radiation to make a plant mutate? They are very interesting!

From what I heard the mutations originally came about when they were being tissue cultured. I believe there is one Sarracenia that has a mutation of the flowers called lSarracenia leukophylla 'tarnok'.

Raistlarn wrote:From what I heard the mutations originally came about when they were being tissue cultured. I believe there is one Sarracenia that has a mutation of the flowers called lSarracenia leukophylla 'tarnok'.

Tarnok is a naturally-occurring mutation, but yes, the tissue culture process does create more and more striking mutations. There are other mutations in Sarracenia that may be selected and perpetuated, such as the lidless ones.


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I think mutations like you see in flytraps tend to result in unhealthy plants with other CPs so they may not even survive to maturity, much less get propagated. There are a few mutants out there, but they tend to be less severe.

Not sure if this is a mutation on a nepenthes, but check out this one on google:
nepenthes mirabilis var. echinostoma

Yes, nepenthes mirabilis var. Echinostoma is a striking variant of n. Mirabilis. There is also n. Mirabilis "winged" which is cool. And there is nepenthes mirabilis variegata. Mutations in neps include wavy leaves, red leaves, and gigantism. Utricularia can also have flower mutations.

The number of VFT mutations actually caused by TC mutations is fairly small. KMS for example was not from TC. If TC was the primary cause, we should be seeing a ton of mutated Neps too. Most of the other CPs have many species and VFTs only have one. I would think self pollination would lead to more mutants than TC.

Smooter80 wrote:The number of VFT mutations actually caused by TC mutations is fairly small. KMS for example was not from TC. If TC was the primary cause, we should be seeing a ton of mutated Neps too. Most of the other CPs have many species and VFTs only have one. I would think self pollination would lead to more mutants than TC.

Ah that would definitely make sense! I guess if you consider it in animal terms, it's like inbreeding, and while in animals it's more often ill health effects, interesting genetic mutations can also come about! For example, a while back a lot of domestic ferrets were inbred and that's even passed down to today- there is a certain pattern of fur for ferrets that sort of looks like a line across the forehead, and apparently it can mean their skull is misaligned, making them deaf. This came about because of inbreeding.
I've also heard of a family before having blue skin, something to do with the blood being close to the skin I think, that came about because their ancestors inbred in a very small town.
The most well-known example is of the royal family, and how many have a condition that doesn't let their blood clot very well (so if they got a paper cut it would just keep bleeding). That was a result of the past when they were strictly only having children with nobles and ended up inbreeding. Sort of reminds me of VFTs that grow without traps, or without trigger hairs

Many other CPs also have mutations, but a lot aren't stable.
As shelilla and smoother said, it may have to do with the fact that flytraps are a monotypic genus, while sarracenia and neps have many. But then, why aren't other monotypic plant seeds such as cephs mutated?

Look at all the variations in Drosera capensis. Narrow leaf, wide leaf, extreme wide leaf, albino, Red, compact rosettes, giant size, dwarf size, crestate growth pattern.

These are all legitimate mutations, although they are not as grotesque as many flytrap mutations are.

Look at the number of flytraps grown, compared to other CP. If people grew and TCed that many Drosera spatulatas, I think you'd see a larger number of mutants there. Of course, I could be wrong. I'll just go on growing my mostly happy, mostly typical Droseras.

Just my two cents worth.

Good growing,
Mike

All plants have mutations. It's just that a slight variation in leaf shape on, say, a daisy, doesn't tend to make as much of a visible difference as it does in flytraps. People notice a flytrap with teeth that's too short, but might not notice a Nepenthes that has pitchers that are slightly more rounder than normal.

Every living organism has mutations. Even twins and clones. Some are just more easily recognized. Some are stable and others are not. That's called evolution.