The Yellow Butterwort (Pinguicula lutea), a carnivorous plant of the southeastern United States, is one of Florida’s six butterworts. The bright yellow flowers, a welcome sight after a colorless winter, are described by the species name lutea which means yellow. Pinguicula means fatty and describes the greasy feeling leaves that secrete mucilage in which small insects get mired. Milk poured over butterwort leaves curdles into a tasty yogurt-like solid. The common name may originate from this practice rather than describing the buttery-feeling leaves.
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