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2027 NOAC, Western NC Threatened Species- Mountain Sweet Pitcher Plant
The Tsali Lodge Threatened Species flap set depicts threatened Mammals, Insects, Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds, and Flora of Western North Carolina. The set was issued throughout 2027 as a fundraiser to subsidize the cost for Scouts to attend the 2027 National Order of the Arrow (NOAC) conference held at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
The Mountain Sweet Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia jonesii) is a rare, meat-eating plant that lives in the mountain bogs of western North Carolina. Instead of getting its energy only from the soil, this clever plant traps insects to survive in nutrient-poor environments. It features tall, bright green leaves shaped like tubes, decorated with beautiful maroon veins. To catch food, the plant lures flies and other small bugs using a sweet scent. Once an insect steps onto the waxy, slippery edge of the tube, it slides down into a pool of digestive fluids. Downward-pointing hairs inside the tube act like a one-way street, preventing the bug from crawling back out.
Environmental Threats
Sadly, this unique species is federally endangered, with only a few wild populations left. It faces severe threats in western North Carolina, primarily due to human activity.
• Habitat Destruction: Many of the specialized mountain bogs have been drained, cleared, or destroyed to build homes, commercial buildings, and golf courses.
• Hydrological Disruptions: Changes in local water systems dry out the wet, saturated soils the plants need to survive.
• Fertilizer Runoff: Pollution from nearby farms alters the soil chemistry, encouraging larger woody plants to move in and shade out the pitcher-plants.
• Illegal Poaching: Plant collectors frequently steal them from the wild, which has completely wiped out entire local populations.
Protecting these fragile mountain bogs is critical to saving this amazing carnivorous plant from extinction.
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There have been 1 revisions. Last change was create on 06 Aug 2026 by Henry Birdsong
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Tsali (134A) S198