Cephalotus is a monotypic genus of southwest Australianpitcher plants, containing the single species Cephalotus follicularis, commonly called the Albany Pitcher Plant or the Western Australian Pitcher Plant.
The plant produces both non-carnivorous and carnivorous leaves, the latter looking something like small green moccasins.
Like many other pitcher plants, the pitcher has a peristome, which is the rim of downward pointing spikes surrounding the pitcher entrance, and a lid (operculum), which prevents excess rainwater from collecting in the pitcher and diluting its digestive enzymes. The operculum has patches of translucent cells which serve to confuse prey insects by appearing like patches of sky.
The taxonomy of the family Cephalotaceae in the order Saxifragales has been abandoned. In a new, developing system this family comes in a new order (Oxalidales); others place it (probably wrongly) under Rosales.
Cephalotus pitcher size have generally been taken from the bottom of the pitcher to the uppermost portion of the lid.
Cephalotus clones exist, many carnivorous plant growers believe that the so called “giant forms”, are due to excellent growing conditions of the “typical forms” which include optimal potting mixture, humidity, light, and temperature.
Cephalotus plants in Denmark, W.A. for example, are expected to have some minor genetic differences from those found in Albany, W.A. The presence of minor variations in a specific gene coding sequence, as well as variations in gene content, form part of a “gene pool”.
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