Pinguicula emarginata “purple” in bloom during its prime

I tried tissue culture for the first time with explants (pieces of plant) from P. emarginata “purple.” It had been a vigorous plant for me for years, but then suddenly started slowing down. I didn’t want to lose the genetics, because you don’t see this plant for sale often. I had a learning curve with making the media, and I can only hope that the one for actually inoculating it and using it isn’t steep. I made 4 TC containers with 3-4 emarginata explants each, and I can only hope that the explants will soon grow to a size where I can continue to divide them. As always, I worry over the possibility of contamination. Ah, contamination: the bane of every horticulturalist and mycologist’s existence. What if one little spore got in somehow? It’s always possible. But, time will tell.

Pinguicula emarginata “purple” explants in a plastic cup

Pinguicula emarginata “purple” explants in a TC container on agar