| Author | Walter | |
| Distribution | Restricted to just the southernmost five counties in the Coastal Plain, north to Bladen and Pender counties. Though suitable habitat extends farther northeast to Croatan National Forest (Craven and Carteret counties), as well as in Camp Lejeune in Onslow County, its range simply does not extend that far to the north (as this is an easily observed species).
This is another Coastal Plain "carnivorous" species, ranging north only to southeastern NC, south to southern FL, and west to eastern LA. | |
| Abundance | More strongly declining than the other two butterworts (Pinguicula); formerly uncommon, but now very rare to rare, except locally numerous in eastern Pender County. The NCNHP has moved its State Rank upward to now S1 (critically imperiled). Its State Status was upgraded to State Special Concern in May 2021. | |
| Habitat | This is a near-strict pine savanna species in NC, rarely occurring in wetter portions of pine flatwoods. |
| Phenology | Generally blooms in April and May, around the same time as the other two butterwort species. It fruits shortly after flowering. | |
| Identification | This is probably the most strikingly beautiful of the three butterwort species, at least if you prefer rich yellow flowers over blue or violet-blue flowers! At any rate, the yellow flower color stands out at a greater distance than does violet-blue. The species has essentially the same vegetative structure as P. caerulea, with the basal rosette of widely elliptical and sticky leaves being about 2-3 inches across. Thus, you must see it in bloom to tell the two apart. This species, as mentioned above, has a relatively large golden-yellow or bright yellow flower, about 1-1.5 inches across, and a flowering stem close to 6 inches high; there is a spur on the back of each flower. All three species can be seen in bloom mostly just at Holly Shelter Game Land in Pender County, as this species does not range to Camp Lejeune or Croatan National Forest, and P. pumila is scarce in Green Swamp and other Brunswick County sites. | |
| Taxonomic Comments | None
| |
| Other Common Name(s) | None | |
| State Rank | S1 [S1S2] | |
| Global Rank | G4G5 | |
| State Status | SC-V | |
| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | OBL link |
| USACE-emp | FACW link |
