Darlingtonia State Botanical Wayside, Oregon
Posted by: 
Volcanoguy
N 44° 02.801 W 124° 05.877
10T E 412041 N 4877643
This area was set aside as a botanical preserve where the public may observe Darlingtonia californica, also know as cobra-lily, Cobra-orchid, and Pitcher Plant.
Waymark Code: WM153D
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 01/17/2007
Views: 117
For the preservation of this locality, collection is prohibited
The site consist of a parking lot along a county road (N 44° 02.854’ W 124° 05.840’) from which a short trail leads to an elevated wooden observation deck and interpretive sign.
Darlingtonia californica can be found over a wide elevation range from sea level to 6000 feet.
Darlingtonia Sign
These cobra-like plants, Darlingtonia californica, are found natively in the bog areas of Northern California and Southwestern Oregon. They flower in May or June with hanging blooms of yellow and red and produce up to a dozen leaves per plant. Erect seed pods remain most of the summer.
Insects are lured into the leaf opening under the hood by nectar on the colorful ‘petal-like” appendages and the edges of the opening. Once inside the hood the insects become confused by the many transparent areas in the upper parts of the leaves which appear as exits, keeping a foothold on the glassy smooth upper surface of the tube is difficult and eventually the insects are trapped in the lower tube by sharp downward pointing hairs. After falling into a pool of liquid at the base of the leaf, the captive is digested and absorbed as food through the plants thin lower walls.