A New Cultivar of Dionaea muscipula Ellis

Ron Gagliardo, Curator of Tropical Plants
The Fuqua Conservatory, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Atlanta, Georgia 30357 USA

Through breeding efforts in the support greenhouses of the Atlanta Botanical Garden, a new all red form of the Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) has been created. The parents of this new cultivar were an all red form (female) and a "toothless" or fine tooth form (male) of Dionaea muscipula. The all red parent is apparently the same clone that was isolated by Mr. Theo de Groot in Holland over a decade ago and has been in limited cultivation here in the United States since. The toothless form was originally isolated by Mr. Thomas Carow in Nudlingen, Germany. Twenty (20) viable seeds were collected and of these, seven clones were established in issue culture. Of the seven clones grown in vitro, one showed enhanced red coloration and vigor and upon subsequent planting out into soil, immediately developed an astonishing deep burgundy coloration in the leaf blade and trap. This clone was also far superior to any of the parents in terms of growth rate and vigor. The description follows:

Dionaea muscipula

'Akai Ryu'

Growth habit and flower morphology are typical for this species. The leaf petiole, blade and trap exhibit dark maroon to burgundy coloration. Any green coloration has only been noted around the center of the plant in mid-winter. The entire trap, interior and exterior, exhibits dark burgundy coloration throughout the year. Grown under laboratory conditions, where nutrient levels can be comparatively high, the plants still exhibit partial burgundy coloration in the traps and leaf blade.

Etymology: This clone is herein described as Dionaea muscipula 'Akai Ryu'. The words "Akai Ryu" are Japanese for "Red Dragon".

Figure 1. Dionaea muscipula 'Akai Ryu' young plant produce from tissue culture. Photo by Ron Gagliardo.

Figure 2. Dionaea muscipula 'Akai Ryu' mature traps. Photo by Ron Gagliardo.

This cultivar is currently being propagated for commercial release by Agristarts III, Apopka, Florida. New selections of Dionaea muscipula using 'Akai Ryu' as parent stock are in progress.