Pinguicula cyclosecta combines a low rosette with rounded violet flowers and a slender spur. Its seasonal forms can look surprisingly different, making it a rewarding species to photograph through a complete cycle. A good profile starts with that whole plant, rather than the purple colour often associated with cultivated butterworts.
At a glance
- Accepted name: Pinguicula cyclosecta Casper.
- Family: Lentibulariaceae.
- Origin: northeastern Mexico, with documented material from Nuevo León and Tamaulipas.
- Growth pattern: carnivorous leaves followed by smaller seasonal resting leaves.
- Key identification features: leaf shape and basal hairs, rounded flower lobes and a long, narrow spur.
The name is retained in Kew’s accepted genus checklist. The regional records and comparative characters are discussed in Zamudio’s revision.
Two descriptions, one species
Casper published P. cyclosecta in 1963. Zamudio explains that McVaugh and Mickel also described the plant as P. lateciliata, using material from the same Meyer and Rogers collection. Casper’s publication appeared first, giving cyclosecta priority in that treatment. The name refers to the rounded corolla lobes. Taxonomic history, printed page 121.
Older names can be useful search terms when tracing an accession. Keep them in the history of a plant record, with the source that connects them to the current name. That preserves information without requiring two names on the main label.
A cliff habitat with sheltered places
A historical field account reproduced by A World of Pinguicula describes a cool, windy, north-facing limestone wall above woodland. Plants occupied moss, cracks and ledges, including places sheltered by neighbouring vegetation. The account is much more informative than describing the species simply as a plant from Mexico. Habitat account.
Fernando Rivadavia later recorded resting plants at El Salto near Zaragoza, growing in rock crevices and patches of vegetation on a relatively humid part of a cliff. His suggestion of wet-season runoff is presented as an interpretation of the site, not a measured water regime. Field report.
For cultivation, the useful inference is to consider moisture together with drainage, shelter and air movement. A small pot filled with fine material is not a cliff crevice, even if both contain limestone. Reproducing one ingredient does not reproduce the habitat.
Leaf and flower characters
Casper’s reproduced diagnosis describes active leaves usually 20–30 mm long, with smaller resting leaves usually 5–10 mm long. The leaves widen towards their ends, and hairs occur near the base. The violet flower has rounded lobes and a spur described as 15–22 mm long. Original diagnosis.
These characters should be assessed together. Measure a mature leaf without stretching it, note its seasonal form, and photograph the flower from the front and side. The colour of a photograph depends on lighting and processing, so retain an unedited image as part of the record.
Zamudio’s comparison with P. elizabethiae considers the flower, leaf hairs and resting rosette rather than relying on a single feature. It illustrates why a rounded purple flower alone cannot establish an identification. Comparative treatment.
The seasonal rosettes
The ICPS illustrates P. cyclosecta in carnivorous and succulent phases at approximately the same scale, showing how strongly its appearance can change. Its account uses those forms to explain seasonal care. ICPS growing guide.
Follow the leaves emerging from the centre. Photograph the change before the older leaves have all disappeared; the overlap between two leaf forms is often the clearest record of the transition. A smaller rosette during this sequence is not automatically evidence that the plant has become a different form or lost its identity.
Growing conditions for an established plant
The specialist cultivation account uses a mineral medium, ventilation and a pronounced seasonal reduction in watering. Its dry-rest practice comes from a humid French greenhouse. Retain that context when adapting it to your own conditions. Cultivation observations.
A practical starting setup is a bright, sheltered position, a draining pot and a medium whose moisture is easy to inspect. Provide moisture for active growth, then use the developing resting foliage as the cue to review watering. Keep the pot accessible rather than concealing it inside a display where water can accumulate unnoticed.
When learning the plant, keep the light position steady and record the drying time of the pot. If you move it, note the date. A change in exposure and a seasonal leaf change can happen together; separating those observations helps you decide what to adjust next.
Do not try to produce a particular colour at the expense of sound new growth. Compare photographs taken under the same light and assess leaf condition as well as pigmentation. If the centre deteriorates abruptly, investigate the growing conditions instead of treating every change as a normal rest.
Propagation and preserving a clone
Leaf pullings are a standard approach for many Mexican butterworts. The ICPS recommends gentle handling and a moisture balance that avoids both shrivelling and decay, with propagation material protected from direct sun. Use a labelled container and retain the parent plant’s record. Leaf-pulling guidance.
Record whether new plants came from a leaf or from seed. Seedlings from a cross should carry the cross information; a resemblance to P. cyclosecta does not establish that they are the species. Accession numbers and descriptive nursery names should likewise remain attached to their original documentation.
What remains individual to your plant
A species profile gives a reference for comparison, not a certificate for every plant bearing the name. Preserve the supplied label, photograph flowers and both seasonal rosettes, and add any subsequent identification with its evidence. No conservation category or clone-specific performance claim is assigned here.
Part of the Nano Nursery Pinguicula Encyclopedia. Sources checked September 2026. Care applies to established potted plants; gel-grown material needs a separate acclimatisation process.
