Cephalotaceae

West Australian Pitcher Plant Family

Insectivorous perennial herb with a short, thick, branching rhizome. Leaves in a basal rosette, the inner ones simple and flat, the outer ones modified into lidded green to red or bronzish red pitchers about 4-6 cm long, the inner surface slippery and with a layer of backward-pointing projections to trap prey. Flower cluster arising from the centre of the leaf rosette on stalks to about 50 cm long. Flowers small, about 4 mm wide. Sepals 6, white. Petals absent. Stamens 12, in 2 unequal whorls of 6; summer. Ovary superior, of 6 carpels, each with 1(2) ovules; styles curling. Fruit a hairy follicle.

This family is considered to be closely related to the Crassulaceae and Saxifragaceae.

A carnivorous plant grown for the insectivorous pitchers.

1 genus with 1 species from SW WA.

Seed, division and leaf node cuttings.

Outer leaves modified to form insectivorous pitchers.

Source: Spencer, R. (2002). Cephalotaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 3. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 2. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.

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kingdom Plantae
phylum   Tracheophyta
class    Magnoliopsida
superorder     Rosanae
order      Oxalidales
Higher taxa
Subordinate taxa
genus        Cephalotus Labill.