Species of Latin America
Subgenus Genlisea
G. aurea St.Hil.1	Brazil
G. filiformis St.Hil.1	Belize, Cuba, Columbia, Venezuela, Guyana, Brazil
G. "filiformis"	Brazil?
G. glabra P.Taylor2	Venezuela
G. guianensis N.E.Brown2	Guyana, Venezuela, Brazil
G. pygmaea St.Hil.1	Columbia, Trinidad, Venezuela, Guyana, Brazil
G. repens Benj.1	Venezuela, Guyana, Brazil, Paraguay
G. roraimensis N.E.Brown1	Venezuela, Guyana
G. sanariapoana Steyermark2	Venezuela
Subgenus Tayloria
G. lobata Fromm-Trinta3	Brazil
G. uncinata P.Taylor & Fromm-Trinta2	Brazil
G. violacea St.Hil.4	Brazil
1Yellow-flowered. 2Violet-flowered. 3White-flowered with a violet spur. 4Flower violet to pink or lilac, & yellow splotches.

Q: New World Genlisea species

A: With the exception of G. filiformis, all these species are restricted to South America and Trinidad. Their ranges are provided in the table to the right.

Most Genlisea are in subgenus Genlisea. These plants share a mode of seed capsule dehiscence which is unique in the world of flowering plants. Namely, their seed capsules break open by a fissure curving along the equatorial line of the fruit, as well as along other spiraling latitude-like lines nearer to the tip of the fruit. Meanwhile, three species (Genlisea lobata, G. uncinata, G. violacea) are in subgenus Tayloria. The fruit of these species split along longitudinal lines. (Those who don't agree with the work of Fischer, E. et al. (2000) refer to the infrageneric divisions of Genlisea as sections instead of subgenera.)

Genlisea aurea--This interesting species produces a thick mass of gel that coats the leaves. This gelatinous slime is so thick that the leaf rosette is completely embedded in the goo. I have never been very successful with this plant--oh, it persists in cultivation, but does not thrive. Nice goo, though.

Genlisea pygmaea--An easily grown, yellow-flowered species. Treat this like a tropical Utricularia and you will do just fine. Perhaps the only special treatment is to avoid disturbing it as much or as aggressively as you might abuse a weedy little Utricularia.

• G. repens
• G. pygmaea
• G. aurea
• G. aurea

Genlisea repens--Another easily grown, yellow-flowered species. Again, grow this like a tropical Utricularia. Neither this nor G. pygmaea grows particularly quickly, but they are reliable in cultivation.

Genlisea uncinata--One of the largest species in terms of its 1-m tall flowering scapes. Some speculate that this plant does most of its photosynthesis in its big flower stalks! The flowers themselves are not very large, alas.

Genlisea violacea--There are several clones in cultivation, identified by collection location or nicknames such as "Itacambira Beauty". It is likely that some of these are as-yet unrecognized species, so dutifully maintain the location information for every one of your clones.

• G. violacea
• G. violacea
• G. violacea
• G. violacea

G. lobata×violacea--This hybrid is in a number of collections, but the plant is so similar to G. lobata that many growers suspect it might just be that species instead.

You may puzzle over the table entry G. "filiformis". So have I! This is a plant that is commonly cultivated and sold under the name G. filiformis. When I first started growing this plant, I used my usual assumption that whatever was on the label was not to be trusted, and I assumed nothing about its identification. (This was a well-earned assumption, because I am actually relating my second attempt to grow G. filiformis---the first time, the so-called G. filiformis turned out to be nothing more or less than Utricularia bisquamata!)

• G. lobata × violacea
• G. "filiformis"

When it started flowering, it keyed quite readily as Genlisea pallida, an African species. Unfortunately, my plants never produce seed or even enlarged fruit, so I could not observe it in the fruiting condition (which would help the identification some). Even so, the identification was straightforward.

Meanwhile, my source for this plant insisted up and down that this specimen came from collecting trips made by Fernando Rivadavia in Brazil. If so, it obviously could not be the African Genlisea pallida, and must instead be a South American species. I returned to my dissection microscope and keys, but try as I might to force the outcome, the plant simply would not key as G. filiformis. I tried, oh how I tried...

So the mystery of this plant remains. Perhaps G. filiformis is more variable than the published keys allow. Perhaps the plant known as G. "filiformis" is a new species. Perhaps somewhere, somehow, some seed contaminations with African stock occurred.

Page citations: Fischer, E. et al., 2000; Rice, B.A. 2006a; Schlauer, J. 2002; Taylor, P. 1991a.