Pinguicula lilacina in the Etla Valley
Among Oaxaca’s eight socio-geographic regions, the Valles Centrales is not known for harboring a great diversity of Pinguicula species. Nonetheless, those hardy souls willing to wander in the mountains can find at least four in the area.
Until a few days ago, I did not know that Pinguicula lilacina can be counted among the region’s residents.
I found these small plants totally by accident while traversing an oak woodland to reach a population of Pinguicula orchidioides and P. heterophylla. Both those larger species are common in the more thoroughly-hydrated nooks and crannies of the mountains surrounding Oaxaca’s Central Valley. In my experience, the two species are usually found growing together or near each other, at least in this area. Pinguicula moranensis also grows near this population of P. lilacina.
I had walked in this same area on multiple occasions but this was the first time that I noticed Pinguicula lilacina. Perhaps the species also grows in many of the other areas where P. orchidioides, P. heterophylla, and P. moranensis also reside?
At this site, P. lilacina plants grow in clayey soils below the canopies of short oak trees. It looks like the sticky little herbs mainly find uninhabited soil surfaces and adequate luminance in the openings left by the downhill side of the oak trunks.
In some instances, tufts of grass also appear to form apt places for the plants to grow.
