• Tropical Homophyllous Species
  • P. albida
  • P. antarctica
  • P. australandina
  • P. bustamanta
  • P. caerulea
  • P. crystallina
  • P. filifolia
  • P. gigantea
  • P. ionantha
  • P. jackii
  • P. jarmilae
  • P. lilacina
  • P. lutea
  • P. nahuelbutensis
  • P. planifolia
  • P. primuliflora
  • P. pumila
  • P. sharpii
• Tropical Heterophyllous Species
  • P. acuminata
  • P. agnata
  • P. calderoniae
  • P. colimensis
  • P. conzattii
  • P. crassifolia
  • P. cyclosecta
  • P. debbertiana
  • P. elizabethiae
  • P. ehlersiae
  • P. emarginata
  • P. esseriana
  • P. gracilis
  • P. gypsicola
  • P. hemiepiphytica
  • P. heterophylla
  • P. ibarrae
  • P. immaculata
  • P. kondoi
  • P. laueana
  • P. laxifolia
  • P. macrophylla
  • P. martinezii
  • P. mirandae
  • P. moctezumae
  • P. moranensis
  • P. nivalis
  • P. oblongiloba
  • P. orchidioides
  • P. parvifolia
  • P. pilosa
  • P. potosiensis
  • P. rectifolia
  • P. rotundiflora
  • P. zecheri
• Temperate Heterophyllous Species
  • P. alpina
  • P. apuana
  • P. grandiflora ssp. rosea
  • P. grandiflora f. pallida
  • P. grandiflora f. chionopetra
  • P. macroceras ssp. nortensis
  • P. mariae
  • P. nevadensis
  • P. spathulata
  • P. villosa
  • P. vulgaris ssp. vestina
• Temperate Anisophyllous Species
  • P. casperiana
  • P. caussensis
  • P. dertosensis
  • P. mundi
  • P. reichenbachiana
  • P. tejedensis
  • P. vallisneriifolia
• Manmade Hybrids
  • P. 'Aphrodite'
  • P. 'Florian'
  • P. 'Niklas'

Pinguicula antarctica Vahl (1827)

Although already described in 1827, this species found its way into cultivation of Pinguicula enthusiasts only in the 1990s. The reason for this may have been that P. antarctica occurs only in remote areas in southern Chile and Patagonia. The habitat of this species is the Patagonian peat bog flora, which can be found from Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fire) and the offshore islands of the Magellan Street up to the higher located areas of the Chilean Coastal Mountain Range. In literature the northernmost latitude for the occurence of P. antarctica is the island of Chiloé, but very likely the distribution range of this species may still be further north into the Valdivian Coastal Mountains. This southernmost butterwort grows mainly in peat bog mosses or in cushions of Donatia fascicularis. Sometimes the species can also be found on moist soils under pine trees or even on bare rocks. The predominant climate is cool and rainy (with annual precipitations of up to 2000 mm) and in winter frost can occur.

In culture the rosette can reach a size of 4 cm in diameter, consisting of 6-8 leaves. As all other South-American butterwort species P. antarctica does not form a hibernaculum (kind of a winter bud). This means that the plants survive the cold winter months with its leaf rosette (the leaves are smaller during winter and they are more involute). Therefore the species belongs to the tropical homophyllous growth type.
The species can form up to 5 flowers (at least in culture). After the flowering period is finished, the flower scapes still continue to grow and can reach a length of 15 cm and more. Often P. antarctica is taken for P. chilensis, but the morphological differences especially for the flower are numerous. The corolla lobes of the lower lip are mostly double in size compared to the corolla lobes of the upper lip and they are more incised. The colour of the corolla and the corolla tube is white with violet veination. The spur is short and obtuse, often barely separated from the tube. P. antarctica seems to be a self-pollinator. The seed capsule is oblate at the top.

For the culture of P. antarctica living Sphagnum moss of small, slow growing species or pure peat seems to be a good substrate. But the species seems to grow well also in pure vermiculite. During winter time, especially when aeration is poor, the plants seem to be susceptible to Botrytis infection. A fungicide application is then often the only chance to safe the plants. As the roots can get very long (5-6 cm) it is recommended to avoid waterlogging in the root area.