Cobra Plant

Darlingtonia californica

Photo: Darlingtonia

The very first pitcher leaf - the tallest of all pitchers of the season - often reaching 60 cm or more in the wild.

 The cobra plant is said to be a "compass plant". This observation was first made by Rebecca Austin in 1875. The first two leaves of the season, taller than any subsequent leaves, emerge in the north-south direction, and the next pair of leaves in the east-west direction. The first four pitchers, thus, point in the direction of the major axes of a compass. If you are lost in the wild teemed with hungry mountain lions and bears without a compass (let alone a GPS), and happen to come across a nice-looking cobra lily, just remember, the two largest pitchers are oriented in the north-south direction. (Disclaimer: I personally do not guarantee every cobra lily to obey this rule strictly.)

 Photo data: Nikon D300 with Ai Nikkor 20mm F3.5.
ISO 200. RAW. Processed by Capture NX.