Pinguicula reticulata is associated with delicately veined flowers and one of the more persistent naming disagreements in Mexican butterwort collections. A useful profile must explain both the plant being discussed and the taxonomic treatment behind its label.
Why the name needs context
Kew’s current genus checklist retains Pinguicula reticulata Schlauer and P. kondoi Casper as separate accepted species. This encyclopedia keeps separate entries accordingly. That choice is a reference convention, not a claim that the disagreement has been settled. Kew’s accepted-species checklist.
Oliver Gluch directly compared cultivated plants received under both names and reported no substantial differences between his material. He also noted that two proposed distinctions—net-like purple corolla veins and glandular hairs on the flower stalk—occur in wild plants identified as P. kondoi. His account therefore questions whether P. reticulata merits separate recognition. Gluch’s observations and taxonomic discussion.
The practical consequence is to preserve the received name, supplier and any locality information. Do not silently replace every kondoi label with reticulata, or make the reverse change, from flower colour alone. An identification history can remain valuable even when the preferred scientific treatment changes.
Appearance and natural setting
Gluch describes the striking reticulate purple pattern on the corolla while cautioning that it is not an exclusive diagnostic character. The name therefore points to an attractive feature rather than providing a reliable identification test on its own. Species discussion.
Fernando Rivadavia’s March 2004 report illustrates plants as reticulata while calling them kondoi in the narrative. Near Aramberri he observed colonies in vertical rock cracks and vegetation pockets; after rain, rosettes appeared fuller and less tightly closed. The conflicting labels are part of the report’s context. Dated field report.
Care with that uncertainty intact
Gluch directs growers to his P. moranensis cultivation approach. Treat this as comparative horticultural advice, not proof that every accession shares identical requirements. Cultivation recommendation. The ICPS recommends managing seasonal Mexican butterworts by their leaf phase, reducing moisture in the succulent phase and choosing a medium suited to the growing environment. ICPS guide.
For a newly acquired plant, ask for the previous grower’s conditions and observe its existing growth before changing several variables together. Keep dated notes on leaf texture, flowering, watering and light changes. Such records make it easier to distinguish an ordinary seasonal response from decline.
Propagation and limits of this account
Leaf pullings are an established general method for Mexican butterworts. This account does not have a verified accession-specific success rate for reticulata. ICPS propagation guidance. Carry the complete parent label onto each vegetative offspring; seed from an undocumented cross should not be assigned the species name automatically.
Schlauer’s 1991 original description remains a source-review gap for this draft. Detailed numerical diagnosis and a definitive resolution of the kondoi relationship are therefore deliberately left open. The present account documents the available observations without turning a disputed name into false certainty.
