Okefenokee Swamp-Swamp Island Drive Boardwalk
N 30° 42.754 W 082° 09.943
17R E 388377 N 3398328
Carnivorous plants can be seen throughout Okefenokee Swamp which is most accesable only by canoe. This waymark marks a 3/4 mile boardwalk along which carnivorous plants can be observed safely. COLLECTION OF THESE PLANTS IS PROHIBITED!
Waymark Code: WM2A16
Location: Georgia, United States
Date Posted: 09/30/2007
Views: 173
For the preservation of this locality, collection is prohibited.
While there are three species of Sarracenia in Okefenokee Swamp, we only saw two:S. minor and S. psittacina along this boardwalk. Start at the parking coordinates and walk 3/4 mile to the obervation tower (W30 42.635 N82 10.299) overlooking Seagrove Lake. Along both sides of the boardwalk is where we saw many pitcher plants of both species. The coordinates listed for this waymark are for the first carnivorous plant we saw along the boardwalk.
Okefenokee Swamp is home to butterworts, bladderworts, sundews and pitcher plants. Some of the most distinctive looking plants in the swamp are the pitcher plants, found growing in clumps around the swamp. The Sarracenia genus of plants has eight species, seven of which are found only in the southeastern U.S. The pitcher plants hold small pools of water inside their long stalks, or "pitchers." Insects are attracted inside the pitchers, sometimes by the odor of decay or sweetness, and are forced downward by pointing hairs inside thelining of the plant. Trapped inside the pitcher's small pool where a narcotic helps drown them, bacteria then decomposes the soft parts of the insect, and enzymes convert the protein into usable nitrogen. Slicing open the tube of the pitcher will reveal the black skeleton remains of many insects.
Three varieties of pitcher plants are found in the swamp: the golden trumpet pitcher, Sarracenia flava ; the hooded pitcher plant, Sarracenia minor; and the parrot pitcher plant, Sarracenia psittacina. The golden trumpet pitcher is recognized by its more open top. The hooded pitcher has a definite curving top, sometimes with small, transparent windows on the back of its hood which help trap insects inside the pitcher. Flying insects are attracted to the windows where they spend their last hours. The parrot pitcher has smaller, reclining pitchers. All have a remarkable drooping flower that helps attract insects. (The above text was copied from http://www.sherpaguides.com/georgia/okefenokee_swamp/wildnotes/index.html)
Other information regarding a visit to this waymark: http://www.fws.gov/okefenokee/regulations.htm