COBRA PLANT

also called cobra lily, or California pitcher plant (species Darlingtonia californica) the only species of the genus Darlingtonia of the pitcher-plant family (Sarraceniaceae) native to swamps in mountain areas of northern California and southern Oregon. The red-veined, yellowish green, hoodlike leaf has a purple-spotted appendage resembling a snake's tongue. The entire plant has the appearance of a striking cobra. The stalkless leaf springs from the rootstalk and is 40 to 85 cm (16 to 33 inches) tall. An insect or similar small animal is drawn to the mouth of the hollow leaf by nectar glands in the ramplike tongue. When inside it tries to crawl or fly through the translucent patches on the hood, which are bright and resemble windows; the true exit from the trap is concealed. The victim soon tires and drops into water that has accumulated at the base of the hood. Escape is prevented by slippery walls and downward-pointing hairs, and the captive is eventually digested by bacteria present in the fluid. The solitary, yellowish purple, nodding flower is borne on a stalk as long as the leaf. It has five green sepals that are longer than the five red-veined, green petals.