Mark Catesby: purple pitcher plant and yellow pitcher plant

This is the Sarracenia purpurea (commonly called the northern pitcher plant) and the Sarracenia flava (commonly called the yellow pitcher plant; Latin lesson: flava means yellow). Mark Catesby (1682-1749) did the watercolor and gouache; the painting is over watercolor brush and graphite lines. If the illustration looks familiar, it is because Catesby also illustrated the Sarracenia purpurea with a water frog.

A few facts about Mark Catesby

A few facts about Sarracenia purpurea

A few facts about Sarracenia flava
1. It's carnivorous.
2. Its height is 18-36 inches.
3. The inner surface of the plant's tube is wax-like, which makes things a little slippery for prey.
4. The International Carnivorous Plant Society describes the flower's scent as "a strong, cat-pee smell".
5. YouTube of a jumping spider trying to escape the plant.