Butterworts

Pinguicula spp.

Butterworts form a rosette with stalkless leaves. The thin glistening leaves are elongated, narrow and generally flat with curled leaf edges. The inner surface is covered with tiny glands and feels greasy to the touch. Their genus name Pinguicula comes from the Latin word pinguis, meaning fat. The plant is usually a pale yellow-green. The butterworts are generally inconspicuous except during the flowering season and they resemble other plants growing in the same area. Butterworts capture their prey using the flypaper-like method. Small insects become ensnared in the mucilage covered leaves. The margins slowly curl over the animal in about two hours, after which digestion takes place.