################### From: Jan@pbc-ths1.pci.chemie.uni-tuebingen.de (Jan Schlauer) Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 11:51:21 +0100 Subject: Re: N.* coccinea??? Dear Dave, >Anyway, I've been thinking about N.* coccinea and N.* wrigleana. >On your list they both have the same mix of parent and grandparent >with the only difference between them being that N.* coc has N.* >hookeriana as the female parent while N.* wrig has N.mirabilis >as the female parent. This don't seem right to me since N.coc >looks a lot more like N.rafflesiana while N.wrig looks like N. >mirabilis (as it should). Are you sure you are talking about original clones of these two hybrids? The drawing of N.* coccinea (Gard.Chron.2.ser.18:169, 1882) has rather little similarity to _N.rafflesiana_, while the (probably male) parent _N.mirabilis_ reveals himself e.g. in the finely denticulate margin of the leaf base. The drawing of N.* wrigleyana (Gard.Chron.2.ser.17:143, 1882) is similar (to the one of N.* coccinea) but the denticulate margin is missing (instead, the tendril is slightly hairy). > The only problem is that I can't find mention of N.ampullaria * >N.mirabilis (or visa versa) hybrid. Now this seems rather amazing >to me when you consider the large number of hybrids involving >these three species; N.ampullaria, mirabilis and rafflesiana. >They all = the same formula of 1/4 amp, 1/4 raff and 1/2 mir. >Do all these hybrids look different? None of these hybrids is very spectacular (in hybrids, characteristic features of the parent species are always diluted). The differences are slight (but sometimes discernible). >If so, I guess the parentage >of N.* coccinea would be correct; but it just seems improbable What do you mean by "just", exactly? Why do you think it is improbable? > and looking at the plants, incorrect. You should rather look at the original publications and the original material (of which rather little survived in the collections!) than on (possibly misidentified or wrongly labelled) "the plants" (of maybe doubtful origin). Kind regards Jan ################### From: "Paul Temple" Date: Tue, 02 Jan 96 15:49:38 +0000 Subject: Re: CP digest 575 +---------------------------+ TM From: Paul Temple | | | | | | | | Dept: Digital | d | i | g | i | t | a | l | Func: Net Comms | | | | | | | | DTN: 7781-1582 +---------------------------+ Easynet: fangio::temple_p Internet: temple_p@gmt.dec.com Loc/MS: GMT In reply to Sara's enquiry as to gnat eating CP's ... Wayne's reply answered many points but I thought I'd just add that Pinguicula moranensis has a long history of being the plant (I mean THE PLANT) that orchid growers have used to keep down small flies that could endanger the orchids. There are many versions of P. moranensis, many incorrectly named or using names invalid for many years now, but that shouldn't stop you using the plants. Anything calling itself a variety of P. moranensis (any variety) or possibly using names like "P. caudata" or "P. mexicana" are good. As hybrids tend to be more vigorous you could also use any hybrid of tender species (e.g. P. x kewensis, P. x 'Tina', P. x 'Weser'). In america this probably means any hybrid as I doubt there are many, if any, hybrids of hardy species available through commercial outlets. (I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong). Going back to Wayne's reply, you'll never trap all the gnats using CP's. But if you keep them poorly, you'll actually increase the gnat population (but I'm sure the gnats will be grateful). Try to ensure that while in growth, the Pinguiculas (or other CP's) cover as much of the soil as possible and that little or no plant material remains rotting on exposed soil. I suggest that you even consider covering exposed soil in a layer of neutral rock, the best being granulated (or even pulverised) volcanic rock (very sharp, very dry to touch but it actually retains and absorbs water). Any exposed soil will attract gnat egg laying if there is any rotting vegetation available as a food supply. Regards Paul ################### From: "Jeffrey Michael Stein" Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 11:08:38 -0500 (EST) Subject: Seed germination. There is a simpler way to germinate Drosophyllum seed without using GA3. Try soaking the seeds in distilled water for 24 hours or so. Michael Chamberland suggested this to me once. It reduced the length until germination down to 3 -4 weeks. Those of you using 500ppm GA3 are probably wasting money. That is an enormously high concentration. I've had very good results with a 24 hour soak in 1mg/L (1ppm) with D. spathulata. This soak reduced the germination time to two weeks. The control still hasn't germinated after 6 weeks. Jeff ################### From: "Paul Temple" Date: Tue, 02 Jan 96 16:16:49 +0000 Subject: Aldrovanda, algae and fish! +---------------------------+ TM From: Paul Temple | | | | | | | | Dept: Digital | d | i | g | i | t | a | l | Func: Net Comms | | | | | | | | DTN: 7781-1582 +---------------------------+ Easynet: fangio::temple_p Internet: temple_p@bst.dec.com Loc/MS: UCG A short note hoping I've not repeated too much of earlier correspondance on the subject. Despite some limited expertise with Pings, I've not grown all the available CP's and I've certainly killed my fair share whilst experimenting. Aldrovanda always was one of those plants I killed! A recent field trip (i.e. 1995) led to a new friend giving me a new piece to try. (I won't name him in case it exposes him to thousands of unwanted requests - but he knows who he is and I'm really grateful). I've tried all sorts of treatment before but nothing worked. This time I used rainwater that had been boiled with sphagnum-moss peat (as opposed to sedge peat). The rainwater was maintained at 80 degrees F.. At the base of the tank I had a one inch (2.5 cm in fact) of the thoroughly boiled peat, all covered by about 0.5 inch (1.5 cm actually) of aquarium gravel to keep the peat fixed (it does love to float). Oh yes, I used a standard aquarium pump and aerator stone to ensure an oxygen supply. Then I left the lights on (a 20 watt, 18 inch long Fluorescent Tube) for 24 hours a day for five weeks! I started with two small pieces of Aldrovanda, each piece unbranched. I now have about 15 or more healthy branches each ending in a luscious looking bud, assuring me of more plants. So much for how to grow Aldrovanda. One problem though. After two weeks I couldn't see anything. The aquarium glass was thick with algae, ruining the view and potentially threatening the Aldrovanda. Now I've seen all the notes I ever wanted to see on experimenting with algicides or snails (snails?!!!). So what else might work? I used to keep fish as pets (well why not. A fish can get to know you, it never yaps, very few bite and the vet fees are non-existent). So I thought I'd try. In one week, the fish returned the glass to being completely algae clear with no sign of any fish attacking the Aldrovanda. So which fish? Well Pleco's are the answer. To the scientists out there, this mainly includes the Plecostomus family (such as the unforgettable and very very large Plecostomus plecostomus). However, in the same family there are several related genera, all with mouths adapted for rasping off algae from falt surfaces, and of them all there are several species far smaller than the relatively enormous Plecostomus plecostomus. So if you fancy experimenting, trot down to your friendly fish hobbyist shop and research availability of any of the PYGMY species in the Pleco group (remember, it's not limited to just the Plecostomus genus). The smallest don't grow beyond about 2 inches (nearly 5 cm) in legth. One small (1.5 cm long) fish will be sufficient to keep a 12" x 12" x 24" (30cm x 30 cm x 36cm) tank completely clear. However, do be kind to the fish. Pleco's are friendly and like each other's company so never keep less than three in a tank. If they run out of algae, feed them a leaf of raw lettuce weighted down with stones (or traditionalists can use lead). Also plant a few dwarf aquatic flat leafed plants as Pleco's like to rest on the leaves. Regards Paul (who's mail now seems to be working again) ################### From: "Michael.Chamberland" <23274MJC@MSU.EDU> Date: Tue, 02 Jan 96 11:44 EST Subject: Aldrovanda, algae and fish! Can anyone refresh me on the distribution of Aldrovanda, and the kind of habitat it prefers? Re: Plecos, what is their common name? Algae-eaters? (those catfish-like brown fishes?). Are they usually pretty big? Do they get in the plant itself and clean it, or do they mostly clean algae off the tank walls and bottom? Michael Chamberland ################### From: "Paul Temple" Date: Tue, 02 Jan 96 16:45:17 +0000 Subject: Pinguicula jackii; how to kill a ... +---------------------------+ TM From: Paul Temple | | | | | | | | Dept: Digital | d | i | g | i | t | a | l | Func: Net Comms | | | | | | | | DTN: 7781-1582 +---------------------------+ Easynet: fangio::temple_p Internet: temple_p@bst.dec.com Loc/MS: UCG Those following the intrepid adventures of a wandering amateur botanist will no doubt be familiar (= bored) with the stories of how to find a Pinguicula jackii. So, because I love to keep people interested, here's an update on how to kill a P. jackii. First you plant it in a special environment so that it receives special attention. Then you simulate the wild environment - in this case, using a "soil" of really hard calcareous rock. And you water it constantly using a tray that can hold enough water to last a week. Then comes the tricky bit - listen carefully - you get food poisoning and while busy trying to die for two weeks, you neglect little things like telling your girlfriend to water certain rather valuable plants that you've placed out of the way (so she doesn't water them when she waters the other plants). When you get well you are highly likely to find a shrivelled mass to be very proud of. However, frustrated actor that I am, all is not what it seems. Had I remained ill for a third week, P. jackii may well have died. As it was, it didn't, but only just! What was a luscious eight leaved plant had a single not very happy leaf remaining. A little love, not to mention some water, has now helped the plant recover and it has three leaves. Only time will tell if it will actually survive the shock. But I think I learnt more than the obvious from this small event. In the wild, P. jackii grows on a vertical calcareous cliff face (effectively exactly the same environment as the european P. vallisneriifolia). The overhang prevents water falling on the cliff face or plants when it rains. There is no reliable source of water feeding through the rock from above (this is contrary to P. vallisneriifolia where the rock it grows on is a seep, with water running slowly thorough the rock all summer) (maybe in winter too?). So, if there is little or no rain falling on the plant or surrounding rock and if there is minimal water seeping from above, then from where does the drought intolerant P. jackii (it only had to last a bout one week without being watered)obtain a regular supply of water? Well P. jackii is an alpine plant, growing on the third highest peak in Cuba. It is high enough to be above the altitude at which occassional frosts hit (in severe winters), such as in the winter of 1994-95 (though I belive the orientation of the cliffs prevent P. jackii from actually being exposed to frost). So, at this altitude, nights are always quite cold and days are always really warm. Therefore P. jackii almost certainly gets daily, or actually nightly, water from condensation as the night causes a rapid drop in temperature and the humid air is unable to retain its moisture. The only way to be sure is to be up there in the mountain as the night settles in. Oh dear, looks like I'll have to go back and check. What a drag!!! (One question - no doubt Jan is able to answer, or maybe someone else can. According to the rules on naming, should P. jackii now be referred to as P. jackyi? I think that all commemorative plant names relating to latinised people's names may be required to have endings of -ii rewritten as -yi. Am I right? Boy is this naming stuff complex!!!) Regards Paul ################### From: Alastair Robinson <100611.1627@compuserve.com> Date: 02 Jan 96 16:23:13 EST Subject: Re:Pleco Michael, I just thought that I should tell you that in Malaysia, Pleco are often referred to as, surprise-surprise, suckerfish ... but that's Malaysia. Best wishes, Alastair. ################### From: bertozzi.terry@wpo.pi.sa.gov.au Date: Wed, 03 Jan 1996 08:23:17 +0930 Subject: Re: Gnats and Pings Paul, >......vigorous you could also use any hybrid of tender species (e.g. >P. x kewensis, P. x 'Tina', P. x 'Weser'). In america this probably >means any hybrid as I doubt there are many, if any, hybrids of hardy >species available through......... I have seen "tender species" and "hardy species" used before by Pinguicologists but am not quite sure I understand their meaning. Could you please explain. Cheers Terry ################### From: mikel@netcraft-sw.com Date: Tue, 2 Jan 96 16:56:28 PST Subject: RE: Aldrovanda, algae and fish! On Tue, 2 Jan 1996 08:52:12 -0800 Michael.Chamberland wrote: >Can anyone refresh me on the distribution of Aldrovanda, and the kind >of habitat it prefers? > >Re: Plecos, what is their common name? Algae-eaters? (those >catfish-like brown fishes?). Are they usually pretty big? Do they get >in the plant itself and clean it, or do they mostly clean algae off the >tank walls and bottom? > >Michael Chamberland > Pleco is short for Plecostomus. There are all kinds of them, some of which I am sure do not eat plants of any kind, but do a great job scavenging the bottom. Michael ################### From: donb@iglou.com (Don Burden) Date: Wed, 3 Jan 96 00:36 EST Subject: New CPN Here's a synopsis of the new December 1995 CPN that arrived here today: Cover photo: D. montana Back cover: U. novae-zealandiae by Barry Meyers-Rice Articles: "The Savage Garden" by Peter D'Amato. Describes how many CP species may be grown under adverse conditions. "A Visit to Kinabalu Park" by Perry Malouf. Part two of his saga. Photos include N. villosa (could this plant be N. x harryana - a hybrid between N. villosa and N. edwardsiana??) and N. lowii. "Tips I Have Found Useful in Growing Sarracenia Plants" by Joe Cumbee. "Rooting Nepenthes in Water" by Joe Mazrimas. "Letters from the Czech Republic Part IV" by Zdenek Zacek. Literature Review: A new children's book, _Sundew Stranglers_ by Jerome Wexler. An article reviewing of the distribution of Aldrovanda in Europe. _CP of the West: vol II_ by J. Hawkeye Rondeau. A new 82 page book. Other news: The December issue of Horticulture has a feature story on Warren Stoutamire. Here's a web page for an article on the distribution of Nepenthes: http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/madagasc/biomad13.html. This is part of a longer paper at: http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/madagasc/biomad1.html. -- Don Burden New Albany, Indiana, USA donb@iglou.com ################### From: Jan@pbc-ths1.pci.chemie.uni-tuebingen.de (Jan Schlauer) Date: Wed, 3 Jan 1996 09:51:22 +0100 Subject: Re: Pinguicula jackii; how to kill a ... Dear Paul, Your little story did nearly let me drop dead from my chair. *DO NOT EVEN DARE TO THINK ABOUT KILLING THIS PLANT!!!* >(One question - no doubt Jan is able to answer, or maybe someone else can. Well, how could I resist to try? >According to the rules on naming, should P. jackii now be referred to as P. >jackyi? I think that all commemorative plant names relating to latinised >people's names may be required to have endings of -ii rewritten as -yi. Only in those cases where the respective people's names are ending with a "y", e.g. a plant named after "Jacky" would get the epithet jackyi. In our _Pinguicula_, the plant was named after "Jack" (AFAIK), so _P.jackii_ is correct. Kind regards Jan ################### From: Jan@pbc-ths1.pci.chemie.uni-tuebingen.de (Jan Schlauer) Date: Wed, 3 Jan 1996 10:24:34 +0100 Subject: Re: Aldrovanda, algae and fish! Dear Michael (C.), >Can anyone refresh me on the distribution of Aldrovanda, and the kind of >habitat it prefers? If you mean natural distribution: widespread but scattered through tropical to temperate Old World (EU, AS, AF, AU). Habitat: aquatic, not too cold winters (only warmer parts in temperate zone), not too dry summers (usually missing in steppe and desert regions). Kind regards Jan ################### From: Ivo Koudela Date: Wed, 3 Jan 96 11:35:02 MEZ Subject: Dr.Guido Braem's book I would like to apologize to Dr.Guido Braem above all and to all who used the list of CP books I created. I relied too much on those who helped me with locating info which I couldn't find out anywhere. Therefore I made a fault - there is the comment 'serious errors' in the description of Dr.Braem's book which is WRONG!!! Delete it please! Once more, my deep apologies to Dr.Braem! At the same time, I would appreciate any comments or help with 'deleting question marks' in the file. Thanks in advance. Best regards, Ivo from the Czech Republic ################### From: "Paul Temple" Date: Wed, 03 Jan 96 13:26:33 +0000 Subject: Yet more Aldrovanda/algae/fish +---------------------------+ TM From: Paul Temple | | | | | | | | Dept: Digital | d | i | g | i | t | a | l | Func: Net Comms | | | | | | | | DTN: 7781-1582 +---------------------------+ Easynet: fangio::temple_p Internet: temple_p@gmt.dec.com Loc/MS: GMT In response to Michael's ... >Re: Plecos, what is their common name? Algae-eaters? (those >catfish-like brown fishes?). Are they usually pretty big? Do they get >in the plant itself and clean it, or do they mostly clean algae off the >tank walls and bottom? Haven't a clue s to common name. Generally, Pleco's are "catfish" like, seen usually on the tank bottom or glass. The mouth is adapted as a sucker. The Fish is flattenned on the base, the head being generally the widest part of the body. As to size, they grow from about 5 cm long (the pygmy species) up to Plecostomus plecostomus size, and I've seen one of them tht was as long as a man's arm! The fish generally scrape algae off any flat surface. I've not detected any damage to my Aldrovanda yet so I can't claim that Pleco's (at least the pygmy species) do any harm to the plant, certainly not ripping it up or eating it deliberately. There is a possibility they willeat the back end of Aldrovanda. This would be good as the tail end of the plant dies off as new growth extends. The dead or dying plant often harbours algae. Some expert can comment on Aldrovanda distribution but I do recall it's actually widespread covering parts of Europe (though not the UK), Africa and Australasia. Regards Paul ################### From: rabbit Date: Wed, 3 Jan 1996 09:23:14 -0600 (CST) Subject: 10 gallon tank of CP Hi, my name is Garth and Ive been reading the group for a while now but this is my first post. I am a student at the university of illinois and have been interested in all kinds of living hobbies (ie. fish, lizards, plants, etc). My first experience with CP was from an ad in the New Yorker magazine. It advertized VFT seeds and it struck me that they would be fun to grow. Well when I got them they were pulverized but I didnt know until they sent out another batch with an appology about the first (I planted the dust that was the first batch wondering at the extreemely small size of the seeds.) My second attempt was another VFT and a cobra lily which I bought at a wonderful science surplus store (american science and surplus.) which occasionally sells those CP which come in 3 in pots and a clear plastic dome (cup). I killed those because I actually wanted to see the plants as a foggy drinking cup on top of a red plastic pot isnt very exciting. Now I am on my second 10 gal. terrarium and Ive learned alot more but I'm still no expert. My plants are doing better than any other attempt, (Im even getting some flowers), but I fear that there is something wrong long term that Ive never had CP long enough to discover. Right now (excuse me for using the common names) I have in my 10 gal. 1 butterwort, 5 VFT, 1 sundew, 2 pitcher plants (not sure what), and something which looks a bit like the other pitcher plants but is red. The questions I have are these: 1) I know that CP need a dormant period of less water and light. Are these plants far to different to be placed under the same dormant conditions? 2) I bought my pitcher plants from peter pauls (both the same kind, both came as roots) and one developed 3 smallish pitchers while the other shot up about 8 inches with what i thought were leaves but actually were very thin long pitchers. Is this right? 3) My plants are sitting in about 2.5 inches of soggy peat moss. Is that enough for the VFT or are their roots in danger of rotting? Thanks for any advice. Sorry I couldnt be more specific about my plant names. - Garth Webb ----------------------------------------------------------------- A limerick packs laughs anatomical Into space that is quite economical. But the good ones I've seen So seldom are clean, And the clean ones so seldom are comical. - "http://www.cen.uiuc.edu/~gw12222/" ---------------------------------------- ################### From: "Jan Stenicka (student)" Date: Wed, 3 Jan 1996 17:04:08 MET-1 Subject: Re: Aldrovanda, algae and fishes Paul, try to use Algil, which will kill algae and Aldrovanda will survive, even she will be healthy. I'm not sure, that Algil'll be in your shop, it's of czech origin , but you can use something like this from aqua-tera /pet/ shop . My friend told me, it works well. Algil is antialgae powder. Jan Stenicka ################### From: "Jeffrey Michael Stein" Date: Wed, 3 Jan 1996 12:42:57 -0500 (EST) Subject: Seed germination. Forwarded message: >From steinjef Tue Jan 2 11:08:38 1996 To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com (Venus Flytrap) X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24] Content-Type: text/plain Content-Length: 537 There is a simpler way to germinate Drosophyllum seed without using GA3. Try soaking the seeds in distilled water for 24 hours or so. Michael Chamberland suggested this to me once. It reduced the length until germination down to 3 -4 weeks. Those of you using 500ppm GA3 are probably wasting money. That is an enormously high concentration. I've had very good results with a 24 hour soak in 1mg/L (1ppm) with D. spathulata. This soak reduced the germination time to two weeks. The control still hasn't germinated after 6 weeks. Jeff ################### From: Keller Date: Wed, 3 Jan 1996 15:13:54 -0500 (EST) Subject: Fungus ?? I have a weblike material that covers the surface, doesn't kill the plants but completely covers some of them. Vanishes when touched, as if it melts. Any suggestions. Thanks. ################### From: Keller Date: Wed, 3 Jan 1996 15:09:18 -0500 (EST) Subject: Vol #3 cp of Australia International Specialized Book Service (1-800-944-6190) are taking backorders for Lowrie's Volume #3. Soft cover only, no set price at this time and delivery date is still unknown. ################### From: "matthias.schmidt@schwaben.de" Date: Wed, 3 Jan 1996 21:35:42 +0000 Subject: New member Hi, my name is Matthias Schmidt and this is my first mail to the CP mailing list. I started growing CP app. 14 years ago together with my brother Oliver. Within the meantime we are mainly growing Nepenthes in fishtanks ( 6 fishtanks with 160 l each ) under fluorescent lights with very good results. Under these conditions do all species which we tried within the last years ( including i.e N. villosa, N. pilosa, N. lowii and many other species ) grow very well. My second interest in CP is in vitro propagation of Nepenthes, which I have started in 1990. This is a very interesting kind of propagation but it needs a lot of work and time to keep all running. ( It is only a hobby, not my profession ! ) That's all for the moment, so I wish a good year 1996 to all people reading this mail. Best regards, Matthias Matthias Schmidt Rossweg 15 71106 Magstadt Germany Tel./Fax.: 07159/42477 e-mail: matthias.schmidt@schwaben.de ################### From: A.Falshaw@irl.cri.nz (Andy Falshaw) Date: Thu, 4 Jan 1996 11:12:47 GMT+1200 Subject: Plants for sale in NZ There's an advert in the January 1996 NZ gardener, in the classifieds at the back, for sarracenias - species and hybrids - from some one in Rotorua. anyone know whether these are likely to be decent plants? Andy ################### From: andreas.wistuba@rhein-neckar.de (Andreas Wistuba) Date: Wed, 03 Jan 1996 22:29:31 GMT Subject: Re: New member On Wed, 3 Jan 1996 13:07:33 -0800, you wrote: >Hi, my name is Matthias Schmidt and this is my first mail to the CP >mailing list. Hello Matthias, hello Oliver, welcome:-) Andreas Andreas Wistuba; Mudauer Ring 227; 68259 Mannheim; Germany Phone: +49-621-705471 / +49-621-7152027 Fax: +49-621-7152028 E-Mail: andreas.wistuba@rhein-neckar.de WWW: http://www.rhein-neckar.de/~carnivor/index.html ################### From: Clarke Brunt Date: Wed, 3 Jan 1996 00:05:45 +0000 Subject: Re: Gnats and Pings On 2 Jan 96 at 13:59, bertozzi.terry@wpo.pi.sa.gov. wrote: > I have seen "tender species" and "hardy species" used before by > Pinguicologists but am not quite sure I understand their meaning. I know that the other day, I questioned whether someone meant 'difficult to kill' by 'hardy', but the common usage would just be one of cold-resistance. Probably people won't agree on a definite dividing line, but for the most part 'hardy' means 'tolerates freezing', while 'tender' means that temperatures must remain above freezing (sometimes quite a lot above!). Concerning the Pings that I grow, grandiflora, vulgaris and lusitanica are hardy. -- Clarke Brunt (clarke@brunt.demon.co.uk) ################### From: CBelan9630@aol.com Date: Wed, 3 Jan 1996 20:20:57 -0500 Subject: Nepenthes soils To all those expert growers of Nepenthes, How important is it to maintain the same or similar soil conditions for cultivated Nepenthes? In other words, is it really necessary to grow plants that grow in ultra basic in the wild in the same soils? What symptoms would a plant display if it is grown in the wrong types of soils? What soil does N. macfarlanei grow in? If you haven't guessed yet I am having trouble with it. It is a seedling and is a yellowish green and growing extremely slowly. I can't place my finger on what is wrong with it (or maybe it is just like that). Comments would be apprecieated. Christoph ################### From: Perry Malouf Date: Wed, 3 Jan 1996 20:42:42 -0500 Subject: N. x harryana? In his description of the contents of the latest CPN, Don Burden wrote about my article: > "A Visit to Kinabalu Park" by Perry Malouf. Part two of his saga. > Photos include N. villosa (could this plant be N. x harryana - > a hybrid between N. villosa and N. edwardsiana??) and N. lowii. Ooohh, a wiseguy eh? N. x harryana indeed! The back cover of the previous CPN clearly shows my Thai friend standing next to a sign which reads "Nepenthes Villosa Areas". Besides, my guide TOLD me it was N. villosa. So there. :-) Okay, we put the jokes aside. Neither the sign nor the most well-intentioned guide constitute a guarantee. After all, I took the picture. I do believe, however, that the photo shows a N. villosa pitcher and not one of N. x harryana. The shape of the pitcher does not seem to have any N. edwardsiana components. N. edwardsiana pitchers are substantially larger (esp. taller) and more tubular in shape, with a slight "waist" (narrowing) about 1/3 of the way from the bottom before expanding again. Perhaps the pitcher lid sitting on top of a "pedestal-continuation" of the peristome aroused suspicion? The photograph of N. edwardsiana I took indeed shows such a pedestal on pitchers of that species. I photographed several N. villosa plants over a fairly large area, and all the pitchers had the toothed pedestal at the back of the peristome. And, N. edwardsiana was nowhere to be found in that vicinity (I understand that some plants may have been lurking in the woods at a lower elevation, quite a distance away). All the pitchers of the N. villosas had the same general form as the one shown in the recent CPN, and I find it hard to believe that all those plants were really N. harryana. As a final bit of evidence, I also photographed N. x kinabaluensis which is N. villosa x N. rajah. This hybrid also had a toothed pedestal at the back of the peristome, though it was not as pronounced as in N. villosa. The plant clearly showed components of the parents, and it made sense that the peristome would have been "leveled out" somewhat by the N. rajah influence. I welcome opinions from others who have experience with N. villosa. (I imagine that international subscribers to CPN have yet to receive the most recent issue.) Perry Malouf ################### From: dave evans Date: Wed, 03 Jan 96 21:10 EST Subject: Re: D. capensis attacked by ravenous FUNGUS! > I got all > worried that I had over watered them, polluted the water, etc. Until > seven hours later when I found white fuzz coming from the base of the > leaves (the leaves were well developed until the FUNGUS attacked). I > immediateley transplanted my plants to soil I had put in the oven at > 200 degrees for two hours. I also made sure that everything about > this new environment was sterile.NOW what should I do to keep this > Cape Sundew alive? What should I do to keep this FUNGUS from > spreading to my other CPs? How should I prevent this from happening > again? If I should kill this fungus with a fungicide: Which brand or > kind is best? How much should I put on this cape sundew? Will the > fungicide that works with the D.capensis also work with the > butterworts if they get this fungus? Is this terrible little fungus > as scary as it seems? Welcome Bret, Could this fungus be mealey bugs instead? They always have fungus growing on them and so could be mistaken as just fungus. What was the condition of the root(s) on the D.capensis? Are they still viable? If so you can make new plantlets from them. I would think the butterworts would fall victim to a fungus before a strong growing like D.cap. Dave Evans ################### From: bb626@scn.org (SCN User) Date: Wed, 3 Jan 1996 19:23:49 -0800 Subject: Re: Nepenthes soils Christoph, The varieties of Nepenthes sanguinea,macfarlandii and gracillima and the natural hybrids of the three seem to do well in a wide range of mixes. N. macfarlandii is no different in its soil conditions.One plant with foot long pitchers growing ina basic mix of orchid bark,corse peak and sponge rock can be sitting right next to a plant that is growing in straight corse vermiculite. Not all plants sprouted from seed grow the same. One will grow at a good pace and another from the same seed lot sits there for years. I have seen alot of different mixes from other grower, some with very dense mediums but the same plant given a chance in something that was a bit more airy and the enviroment was also improved the plant expanded in sized in a very short time. It could be the quality of the seedling from its origin that needs improving. -- Tom Kahl/Nepenthes Club ################### From: Pekka Ala-Siuru Date: Thu, 4 Jan 1996 10:38:51 +0200 (EET) Subject: This is to Paul Temple I am sorry to send this to the entire list but Paul's reply address don't work. ..here is the mail I tried to send you paul: To: Paul Temple Hi Paul, I noticed that my recent mails have not gone thru..to you address. Hope you have now working reply address :) Book? What is the best mix for Rhypsalis?, I have got one cutting and try to get it rooted. ..Pekka ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ Pekka Ala-Siuru Senior Analyst, Embedded Knowledge-Based Systems VTT Electronics, P.O.Box 1100, FIN-90571, Oulu,Finland Tel. +358 81 551 2461, Telefax +358 81 551 2320 http://www.ele.vtt.fi/ ################### From: Jan@pbc-ths1.pci.chemie.uni-tuebingen.de (Jan Schlauer) Date: Thu, 4 Jan 1996 11:04:42 +0100 Subject: Re: New member >>Hi, my name is Matthias Schmidt and this is my first mail to the CP >>mailing list. (...) Hello Matthias (whose good friends call him the walking fan! ;-)), Welcome aboard! Jan (S. from T.) ################### From: Gordon Wells (Tel "(343)-401-6659") Date: Thu, 4 Jan 1996 11:51:37 UTC+0100 Subject: P. Weser There's been some talk of the hybrid P. Weser on the list recently. Does anyone happen to know what its parents are ? This is one of the most common hybrids I've seen available in Barcelona (imported from Holland), but I can't seem to find out what it is - it's not even in the otherwise invincible CP database. Thanks, Gordon Wells Instituto de Cibernetica Diagonal 647, planta 2 Barcelona 08028 SPAIN ################### From: "Michael Hasemann" Date: Thu, 4 Jan 1996 13:04:43 +0200 (EET) Subject: Re: New member > > >>Hi, my name is Matthias Schmidt and this is my first mail to the CP > >>mailing list. > (...) > > Hello Matthias (whose good friends call him the walking fan! ;-)), > > Welcome aboard! > > Jan (S. from T.) > > > Hi Matthias, welcome to the party and remember to greet any newcomer with at least two bandwidth wasting lines of non CP related smalltalk. :-) ..Michael -- Michael Hasemann | Technical Research Centre of Finland - Automation | Kaitovayla 1, P.O. Box 13023, 90571 Oulu, Finland jmh@tko.vtt.fi | Fax: +358 81 5512320 Tel: +358 81 5512239 ################### From: Jan@pbc-ths1.pci.chemie.uni-tuebingen.de (Jan Schlauer) Date: Thu, 4 Jan 1996 13:28:27 +0100 Subject: Re: P. Weser Dear Gordon, >There's been some talk of the hybrid P. Weser on the >list recently. Does anyone happen to know what its >parents are ? This is one of the most common hybrids >I've seen available in Barcelona (imported from Holland), >but I can't seem to find out what it is - it's not even >in the otherwise invincible CP database. The CPDB may not be invincible but it definitely includes what you are looking for: N: [Pinguicula * ' Weser ' {Hort.Slack}] P: Insect-Eat.Pl. & How To Grow Them:113 (1986) S: =[[Pinguicula moranensis {H.B.K.}] * [Pinguicula ehlersiae {Speta & Fuchs}]] B: WEINER Kind regards Jan ################### From: L235@aol.com Date: Thu, 4 Jan 1996 09:18:45 -0500 Subject: Re: Suggestions For A Novice In replying to Sara Gardner's request for good cp varieties to help with her orchid fungus gnat problem, Clark Brunt wrote >The butterworts (Pinguicula) aren't usually very good at >catching anything. Pinguicula moranensis (and varieties) >makes an attractive flowering plant (mine flowers almost >all year), and catches a few small flying insects. I hate to contradict, but in my (admittedly humble) experience, My P. moranensis has been, by far, the single largest consumer of fungus gnats in my basement greenhouse environment, when compared with D. capensis, D. binata, D. adelae, D. aliciae, and D. intermedia x brevifolia. (on the order of 10 catches for the ping to 1 for any of the Droserae) Jay Lechtman L235@aol.com ################### From: Adrian Arnold Date: Wed, 03 Jan 1996 00:08:02 Subject: Re: CP digest 575: suggestions for a novice Someone suggested that some >carn. plants would help keep the fungus gnat pop- >ulation down (someone else took exception to that >idea) but the more I thought about it the more I >thought it would be fun and interesting to have a >few CP's around. Can anyone suggest four or so >which might do well in a warm greenhouse (low temp >in the 50's, I hope) and where I might obtain >them? > >Thanks for your suggestions. > >Sara in Grants Pass, OR > I find that Pinguicula Moranensis (Caudata or similar, and most of the other P's)work very well indeed at keeping down those pesky little fungus flies. I suggest you position one in the centre of each group of plants you are having problems with and you will get a quite rapid reduction in fly population. They also seem to be able to catch whitefly in reasonable numbers as well. Regards, Adrian Arnold. arnold@bigb.win-uk.net ################### From: Martin.Zevenbergen@ALGEM.PT.WAU.NL (martin zevenbergen) Date: Thu, 04 Jan 1996 15:34:26 +0100 (CET) Subject: seed germination Yesterday, Jeff wrote: >There is a simpler way to germinate Drosophyllum seed without using GA3. Try >soaking the seeds in distilled water for 24 hours or so. Michael Chamberland >suggested this to me once. It reduced the length until germination down to 3 >-4 >weeks. Sounds interesting and is indeed a cheaper method. >Those of you using 500ppm GA3 are probably wasting money. That is an >enormously >high concentration. I've had very good results with a 24 hour soak in 1mg/L >(1ppm) with D. spathulata. This soak reduced the germination time to two >weeks. The control still hasn't germinated after 6 weeks. Yes, maybe, but on the other side I only use a few ml of GA3 solution per seed batch, and when I take the price of GA3 into account, the solution (500 ppm) is about 5 dutch cents (about 3 $cents) per ml. When you know that Allen Lowrie's seeds are 3 Austr. $ per seed batch, the price of the GA3 isn't that expensive. Furthermore, I have some seed from Allen that refuses to germinate even with this high GA3 concentration and some others of which only a few germinate. So I'm not sure if you will succeed with a lower concentration. Martin Zevenbergen Dept. of Plant taxonomy Agricultural University P.O. box 8010 6700 ED Wageningen The Netherlands martin.zevenbergen@algem.pt.wau.nl ------------------------------ End of CP Digest 579 ******************** ################### From: Oliver T Massey CFS Date: Thu, 4 Jan 1996 09:49:07 -0500 (EST) Subject: Re: Suggestions For A Novice > >The butterworts (Pinguicula) aren't usually very good at > >catching anything. Pinguicula moranensis (and varieties) > >makes an attractive flowering plant (mine flowers almost > >all year), and catches a few small flying insects. > > I hate to contradict, but in my (admittedly humble) experience, My P. > moranensis has been, by far, the single largest consumer of fungus gnats in > my basement greenhouse environment, when compared with D. capensis, D. > binata, D. adelae, D. aliciae, and D. intermedia x brevifolia. (on the order > of 10 catches for the ping to 1 for any of the Droserae) > Jay Lechtman > L235@aol.com Interesting, in my backyard D. filiformis is by far the best- way outstripping the above mentioned Drosera or native Pings. I don't have P. moranensis :( for comparison. Of course, these are all kinds of gnats and small flying stuff, not just the springtails I find on my plants inside. Tom in Fl ################### From: Mestrado Gestao Recursos Biologicos Date: Thu, 4 Jan 1996 19:27:16 +0100 (MET) Subject: SUBSCRIBE ################### From: Alastair Robinson <100611.1627@compuserve.com> Date: 04 Jan 96 15:07:02 EST Subject: Re: CP digest 580 Christoph, in the wild the three Malaysian mountain species, Nn. gracillima, sanguinea and macfarlaneii, so I have observed, grow in several different types of soils and habitats - from pure, rich, heavy peat to sandy soils and especially on bare rock; all three tolerate many types of soil as a result of the great variation in habitat. Of these three, N.sanguinea is, by far, the most tolerant in terms of temperature and mistreatment, followed by N.gracillima which is easy as well, followed by N. macfarlaneii - it is an easy species, but you will not find many that are at all tolerant of temperatures higher than 23/24 degrees celsius - they display their dislike to adverse temperatures by, in my experience, turning yellow and slowing in growth, to eventually pass away. Due to variation in peninsular Malaysia's relief features, some N.macfarlaneii stands, as with the other two, have adapted to tolerate lower, and thus warmer habitats. The Fraser's Hill specimens are a good example; N.macfarlaneii is extremely rare there, because it is not high enough to sport the ideal temperatures, but the plants from there are a little more tolerant of higher temperatures than are those from Gunung Berincang and Ulu Kali, the two higher peaks in the peninsular part of the country. This could be said for N.sanguinea as well - N.gracillima does not occur in the locality, as far as I am aware. I would also like to support Perry's claim of the N.villosa pitcher seen in the journal, which has reached England. It is N.villosa as far as I can see - upper pitchers aren't uncommon, contrary to what several books seemed to suggest ( unknown etc.). - and the pitchers on some plants I saw, over 3 metres ( the plants, I mean) high, had pitchers of just the kind he has photographed. However, N.*harryana does occur on the trail; below mempening, at a site that guides claim N.edwardsiana grows, with some huge N.*kinabaluensis. These plants are unmistakeably not villosas, but neither are they the tall, cylindrical pitchers of the Kinabalu form of N.edwardsiana - they are intermediate in shape between N.villosa and the former, just like those in Kurata's book, and do not appear to be similar to those N.edwardsiana's from Trus madi ( the 'squat' version). I hope I have been helpful. Best wishes, Alastair. ################### From: Andrew Marshall Date: Thu, 4 Jan 1996 12:39:25 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: CP digest 580 Hi folks, To add my two cents woth in the discusion re. the best plants for fungus gnat control I have to say that it is also my experiance that the Mexican Pinguicula are by far the best at capturing the adult gnats that are in my greenhouse. P. moranensis, P. agnata and the hybrid P. agnata x P. gypsicola are the three best and are often times covered with gnats. Usually in the early Autumn when the ambient humidity increases. By now there are not enough left to notice except for the occasional gnat that rises off of a plant pot. I do not notice any being caught by the numerous species of Drosera I have in there. To add also, I use the various fork-leaved Drosera outside as companion plants among the Sarracenia. The purpose to control the adult crane flies whose larvae are very destructive to roots and rhyzomes. They are very good at it. I used to use Drosophyllum for this but have lost the plants I had and damping off has taken the seedlings I had. I know of no plant that controls the larval stages of either of these pests but if the adult populations are kept to a minimum then damage is rarely a problem. If all else fails then the Gardens Alive company sells "gnatrol", a form of bt especially formulated for fungus gnats that REALLY works if the directions are followed. I don't have an address on hand for them at the moment but if I can find it I will post it. It is the only organic larvacide I know of for these pests. Meanwhile, I hope everybodies holidays were happy and that everybody has a happy and prosperous new year. Good Growing Andrew ################### From: dave evans Date: Thu, 04 Jan 96 16:40 EST Subject: Re: introduction > > > Hi! My name is George. I became interested in cp through a science > class in high school (many years ago). Currently I am growing, venus > fly traps, sundews, cephalotus follicularis, sarracenias, nepenthes, > and darlingtonia californica. I am interested in any helpful hints on > dormancy and any growing tips. Hello George, VFT, temperate Drosera (most sundews are Drosera and most are *not* temperate), Sarracenia, and Darlingtonia all have just about the same dormancy needs. As Kevin Snively pointed out these plants can be frozen as long as they are ready for dormancy *and* are insulated from freeze drying air. Snow is really the best for this but a mulch of leaves will work very good too. Nepenthes don't really have dormancy at all and grow year round. They tend too flower in the spring, if large enough. Cephalotus likes to stay warm but can rot easily during the winter so it should be kept drier (but not dry!) and a light application of Maneb fungicide will help. Dave Evans ################### From: CHRYCL@aol.com Date: Thu, 4 Jan 1996 19:18:44 -0500 Subject: Tissue Culture Dear Friends, First of all my name is Chris Clark and I recently became a member of the group. I hope to learn many things from the group. I am looking to start propigating my plants by means of tissue culture and I was wondering if anyone out there has any tips they could give me. Also, if you could give me a list of suppliers of the supplies needed and a lis of people who sell plants from tissue culture. Thank-you and good growing! Chris Clark CHRYCL@aol.com ################### From: CMDodd@aol.com Date: Thu, 4 Jan 1996 19:56:11 -0500 Subject: Re: soils and Nepenthes The question of media for Nepenthes is a recurring question and not easily answered. It may depend on temperature, water quality, greenhouse vs. terrarium culture, etc. In my area (Central Florida) most species are grown in a mix of equal parts fine grain fir bark/charcoal/tree fern fiber. This applies to highland species (which are generally grown in baskets) and lowland (plastic pots) alike. I personally do not grow any Nepenthes in sphagnum because in my climate it rots very quickly and the roots will soon be in an anaerobic muck which may kill the plant. This mix usually is good for about 2 years and then must be changed. As this is a very well drained and porous mix, it must be pre-soaked at least 24 hours before use. It will also mean regular watering in warm weather. Species that respond well to this are quite varied in habitat in the field: N. alata, ampullaria, bicacarata, tentaculata, mirabilis, veitchii, macfarlanei, maxima, lowii, truncata and many others. The main difficulty comes in trying to grow the species restricted to ultra-basic soils. This includes N. rajah, burbidgea, macro-vulgaris, and also stenophylla (N. fallax?) and villosa (although they are not confined to these soils). So far in cultivation here, ultra basic species have responded to two types of media. One is 90% 3mm silica-gel mixed with 10% of the standard mix. This is NOT the silica gel that dissolves in water, or the type with indicator crystals in it. It is white to clear and very hard. It must be hydrated in a high humidity envoronment for several days before use, for if immersed directly in water it will fracture to dust. The other medium is 90% high-fired clay used in aquarium filtration and 10% standard mix. One brand of this is called Biopur. It must be crushed as it comes in little cylindars and roots might get restricted in the holes. BOTH of these media are EXPENSIVE, but the silica gel can be bought in bulk, the other (so far) cannot. This is not a problem if you have only a few of the ultra basic forms, most of which are still fairly uncommon. Since N. rajah is now in tissue culture a series of media should be experimented with to determine the optimum soils. Lastly there is the little understood problem of N. northiana which has not really responded to any soil with any great vigor. Neither the above mentioned soils nor the addition of limestone (marble) has produced growth consistant of plants in the field. N. sumatrana is another plant that survives but is not terribly happy about cultivation. Other medias worth experimenting with include rock wools and aerolite. Media to avoid: redwood fiber, cork, peat (to dense and acid), lava rock, turface. Coupled with media should be high quality water (R.O. or similar) which is absolutely necessary for the ultra basic species. Again this is what works for me in my area of the world, and I am still very much learning about Nepenthes. Cliff ################### From: dave evans Date: Thu, 04 Jan 96 19:53 EST Subject: Re: Re: CP: suggestions for a novice > The butterworts (Pinguicula) aren't usually very good at > catching anything. Pinguicula moranensis (and varieties) > makes an attractive flowering plant (mine flowers almost > all year), and catches a few small flying insects. > Clarke Brunt (clarke@brunt.demon.co.uk) ???? I had lots of fungus gnats in with my Nepenthes so I placed two small P. (+/-) moranenis in the 55 gal. terrarium and the plants become covered with them! The Pings grew fast => and soon there were no more gnat at all :). They don't catch anything larger than fungus gnats though, even fruit flies are too big and tend to rot before the plant eats them. Dave Evans ################### From: writserv@mi.net Date: Thu, 4 Jan 1996 21:11:22 -0400 Subject: Re: CP digest 580 Hi Andrew: >Hi folks, > To add my two cents woth in the discusion re. the best plants for >fungus gnat control I have to say that it is also my experiance that the >Mexican Pinguicula (snip) >I do not notice any being caught by the >numerous species of Drosera I have in there. Tut! A large D. capensis set amongst the breeding grounds of of the Fungus Gnat _in spring, in this country_ can blacken right up with horney little fungus gnats. They tend to crawl along anything above the soil and flip their wings to scatter their pheremones. The glue of life. Chomp. :} Rand Nicholson (writserv@mi.net) Canada ################### From: Gordon Wells (Tel "(343)-401-6659") Date: Fri, 5 Jan 1996 11:36:51 UTC+0100 Subject: P. Weser Hi Jan, > The CPDB may not be invincible but it definitely includes > what you are looking for: > N: [Pinguicula * ' Weser ' {Hort.Slack}] > P: Insect-Eat.Pl. & How To Grow Them:113 (1986) > S: =[[Pinguicula moranensis {H.B.K.}] * [Pinguicula ehlersiae {Speta & > Fuchs}]] B: WEINER Thanks. My mistake was forgetting to push the "show all matching entries" button when I searched the database. I can't seem to ever remember this... Regards, Gordon Wells Instituto de Cibernetica Diagonal 647, planta 2 Barcelona 08028 SPAIN ################### From: DDembicki@aol.com Date: Fri, 5 Jan 1996 12:22:02 -0500 Subject: Re: Vol #3 cp of Australia For those of you out of the USA, International Specialized Book Service's direct dial is 503-287-3093 in Portland Oregon and Email is ORDERS@ISBS.COM. They have an extensive catalog of books on Flora and Fauna and a few books on CPs too. Give Debra a call for more details. Dan Dembicki In a message dated 96-01-03 17:57:34 EST, you write: >Subj: Vol #3 cp of Australia >Date: 96-01-03 17:57:34 EST >From: pkeller@suffolk.lib.ny.us (Keller) >Sender: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com >Reply-to: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com >To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com (Multiple recipients of list) > > >International Specialized Book Service (1-800-944-6190) are taking >backorders for Lowrie's Volume #3. Soft cover only, no set price at this >time and delivery date is still unknown ################### From: Clarke Brunt Date: Thu, 4 Jan 1996 20:36:34 +0000 Subject: Re: 10 gallon tank of CP On 3 Jan 96 at 7:35, rabbit wrote: > Right now (excuse me for using the common names) I have in my 10 > gal. 1 butterwort, 5 VFT, 1 sundew, 2 pitcher plants (not sure what), and > something which looks a bit like the other pitcher plants but is red. > The questions I have are these: > 1) I know that CP need a dormant period of less water and light. > Are these plants far to different to be placed under the same dormant > conditions? Your plants sound fairly similar (though perhaps depends what species the butterwort and sundews are). Any cool temperature above freezing would probably do. In my climate in the UK, I don't do anything special - natural Winter in a slightly heated greenhouse seems about right. I should say that the plants don't really need to be in an enclosure as long as the humidity isn't too low. Mine just stand with their pots in water trays, > 2) I bought my pitcher plants from peter pauls (both the same > kind, both came as roots) and one developed 3 smallish pitchers while the > other shot up about 8 inches with what i thought were leaves but actually > were very thin long pitchers. Is this right? The pitches *are* the leaves, though some Sarracenia occasionally produce one or two non-pitcher flat leaves. > 3) My plants are sitting in about 2.5 inches of soggy peat > moss. Is that enough for the VFT or are their roots in danger of rotting? Sounds like it should be deeper - both the VFT and the Sarrs have quite large root systems. My biggest Sarracenia is in a 10 inch/25 cm (both wide and deep) pot. Rot shouldn't really be a worry. -- Clarke Brunt (clarke@brunt.demon.co.uk) ################### From: Clarke Brunt Date: Thu, 4 Jan 1996 20:26:15 +0000 Subject: Re: Fungus ?? On 3 Jan 96 at 12:16, Keller wrote: > I have a weblike material that covers the surface, doesn't kill the > plants but completely covers some of them. Vanishes when touched, as if > it melts. Any suggestions. Yes - I get that as well (though only on the soil - I haven't had it cover plants!), especially on newly potted plants, before algae, mosses, etc. get established. After the green algae gets going, I sometimes see some other organism which spreads from a single point and kills the algae (someone once told me that the 'killer' stuff was a 'slime mould'). -- Clarke Brunt (clarke@brunt.demon.co.uk) ################### From: "Michael.Chamberland" <23274MJC@MSU.EDU> Date: Fri, 05 Jan 96 15:49 EST Subject: Re: Vol #3 cp in Australia > For those of you out of the USA, International Specialized Book Service's > direct dial is 503-287-3093 in Portland Oregon and Email is ORDERS@ISBS.COM. > They have an extensive catalog of books on Flora and Fauna and a few books > on CPs too. Give Debra a call for more details. > > Dan Dembicki > > In a message dated 96-01-03 17:57:34 EST, you write: > > >International Specialized Book Service (1-800-944-6190) are taking > >backorders for Lowrie's Volume #3. Soft cover only, no set price at this > >time and delivery date is still unknown Help me figure this out. Has Lowrie's CP of Australia vol. 3 REALLY now been published? Have any of you come into physical contact with this entity? (Close Encounters of the Vol. 3 Kind!!! :-) Michael ################### From: John M Ford Date: Fri, 5 Jan 1996 16:31:04 -0500 (EST) Subject: Re: Vol #3 cp in Australia Concerning Michael's question about Lowrie's Vol 3 - when I talked to ISBS this afternoon (960105) I was told that they do not have it in stock, but are expecting it soon since it is scheduled to be released this winter. The Natural History Book Service has had it in their listings for about two months or so, but I figured I'd wait and find a source in the US (shipping is a tad expensive from the UK when you are impatient). The person with whom I spoke was quite pleasant seemed to be very excited when I told her how I found out about them. Good luck and good growin, John jford@runet.edu ################### From: lardyg7@cti.ecp.fr (Gilles LARDY) Date: Sat, 6 Jan 1996 01:42:19 +0100 Subject: Need information about Genlisea... Hi everybody, First I hope you have had a great Christmas ! Although Barry's articles on Genlisea species are very interesting, I would like to have further informations on this genus. In his book, Slack mentions that the trap may reach the length of 15 cm, does anybody know which species are concerned by this. I have heard that there were two kinds of Genlisea, the terrestrial and the aquatic ones. Which one of the species are aquatic ; does anybody grow them at the moment, or has grown them in the past ? Any other information on the genus will be wellcome. Thank you for your help... Gilles ***************************** Gilles LARDY E_mail : lardyg7@cti.ecp.fr ################### From: jnuyen@voyager.net (John Nuyen) Date: Fri, 5 Jan 1996 19:36:06 -0500 Subject: CP pests Many years ago, I had a large terrarium which contained several Venus Fly Traps, pitcher plants, butterworts and sundews. Over the years, I had tried to grow the plants, but for some reason and infestation of what I believe to be white flys would destroy them. I would like to get back into growing these CP's but I wonder if it will be a failure as it was in the past. Is there any way to kill these flys before they kill the plants? Also, where is a good place to purchase new CP specimens? Thanks, John ################### From: lightAlan Bickell Date: Fri, 5 Jan 1996 23:02:41 -0500 Subject: new member Hi to all on the list! My name is Al Bickell from the land of ice, snow and 40 below -Canada. I have been reading quietly in the background for about a month now and just decided to test the depth of the water by jumping in with both feet. I have a small greenhouse in which I grow tropical orchids (genus paphiopedilum complete plus other species) and a few CPs. Mostly the standard things -VFT, Pings, and some sundews. A few Nepenthes species lurk in the corners(burbidgii,rhienwardtia,alata,albo-marginata) and these are the primary reason for writing. My real hobby is tissue culture and in vitro seed propogation of rare species. I have been doing this with orchids for about twenty years now. The greenhouse serves as a sort of seed generator and we have a lab in the basement where I work (hobby). Phalaenopsis node culture is virtually identical to node culture for Nepenthes and this has been very sucessful. I have gotten lots of good data on media and hormone concentrations for Nepenthes from the cp.list. Last summer we successfully propogated the Nepenthes by node culture in pots but would like to try generating some callus cultures and in vitro stem props. Would appreciate any hints from those who have had success with this proceedure, especially in the area of explant sterilization. Other important questions are, -what length of time in the sterilizing solution for seed or nodes and -what conc of sodium hypochlorite is most effective as a sterilant for both? Looking forward to hearing from you. Al Bickell ################### From: Andrew Marshall Date: Fri, 5 Jan 1996 21:22:13 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: CP digest 581 Hello folks, Perhaps in this department I have lazy Drosera. I will tell you what I use the D. capensis and others for in the greenhouse and that is as decoys for the aphids. I have found that in the winter the apdids prefer the Drosera to the Nepenthes. I merely have to go around and spray oil/soap on them or if they are to much of a pain, I wait for a frost and throw the little buggers outside. It does sometimes kill the Drosera but as long as I have others of the same I don't mind. Sounds as cruel as it is but I would rather they were outside then in on the Nepenthes. Good Growing Andrew ################### From: steiger@iae.unibe.ch (Juerg Steiger) Date: Sat, 6 Jan 1996 17:44:34 +0000 Subject: Brazilian in Europe Hi to all!!! It's me, Fernando Rivadavia, writing from Juerg Steiger's office in Bern! Long time no see, happy '96 to eveyone!! I arrived here yesterday afternoon and will be leaving tomorrow morning. Juerg has been giving me a Pinguicula intensive course which I'll never forget! He's shown me tons of fantastic pictures of the northen temperate Pings and their habitats. I'm having the opportunity to clear up all and any doubts I've ever had about this group of CP's. Only now I'm sadder than ever that I can't cultivate them in Brazil! Today Juerg took me to see some lowland sites of P.alpina right outside Bern. They were obviously dormant, but it was interesting to see these relic habitats where the plants are found at about half the altitude that they are normally found in. The 1st meeting of the Italian CP'ers was fantastic! I think my previous message didn't reach you Alessandro (it didn't reach Juerg), but I just wanted to thank you, Furio, Fiorello, and everyone else for the great time I had. I'm glad I finally gave all you Italians a reason to get together and meet each other. My next stop is Rouen in France, where I'll be arriving on Sunday early in the afternoon. I'm going to meet a longtime correspondent of mine, Pierre Sibille. He told me there might even be a small meeting of the local CP'ers. If any of you are connected, tell Pierre I'll be arriving in Paris at around 11:30 and will catch the first train to Rouen (which I think is at 13:00). I'll only be able to stay with Pierre for about one day, then I have to go to Paris to see Drosera TYPE herbarium. I should be in England around Thursday (Hi Joe, Loyd, and everyone else). I'll be seeing Drosera TYPE specimens at Kew and then there'll be the meeting of the British CP'ers at Reading on Saturday. Don't miss out! Don't worry, you won't get bored with too many CPs, I've got lots of slides of waterfalls, habitats, views, orchids, other plants, animals, etc. I'll be leaving England probably on Sunday or Monday for GErmany, where I will first visit Thomas Carow. The German part of the trip is not too well sorted out yet, I just know I the meeting will be on the 20th in Mannheim or Heidelberg. I'll keep you Germans informed along the way. I'll write from Joe Mullins' in England. OK? Well, that's it everyone! 'Till next time!! Best Wishes, Fernando Rivadavia ___________________________________________________ Dr. Juerg Steiger, Institut fuer Aus-, Weiter- und Fortbildung IAWF University of Bern, Inselspital 37a, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland Office: +41 (0)31 632 98 87, Home: +41 (0)31 972 19 79 Fax: +41 (0)31 632 98 71, E-mail: steiger@iae.unibe.ch Web: http://www.iawf.unibe.ch/index.htp ################### From: CBelan9630@aol.com Date: Sat, 6 Jan 1996 11:48:19 -0500 Subject: N. x harryana I would have to agree with Perry. The plant pictured is clearly N. villosa, looks to me like an upper pitcher. N. x harryana has a more elongated, tubular pitcher and retains much of the color N. edwardsiana. Look for a picture of it soon to come on my home page. Just my 2c. ################### From: Gregory Drasher Date: Sat, 6 Jan 1996 15:29:31 -0500 (EST) Subject: Introduction Greetings! As a new subscriber to the CP list, I wanted to take the opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Greg, and I'm currently a graduate student studying at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, USA. Several years ago, I became interested in CPs and began a small collection I eventually gave them to friends when I moved. Now that my graduate studies have become somewhat manageable, I want to begin a hobby. When I think back, I remember with great fondness my CPs (sarracenias, cephalotus, and VFT). I just began exploring the net, and I plan to follow up on requesting membership in societies. If anyone has any advice they would like to offer to this relatively starving graduate student re: keeping costs down, etc., please email me at grdras01@homer.louisville.edu Anything that needs to come snail mail can be sent to Greg Drasher 2151 Goldsmith Lane #21 Louisville, KY 40218 USA I'm looking forward to hearing from anyone. My current plans are to collect a wide sampling of CPs. Thanks to all, Greg ################### From: lardyg7@cti.ecp.fr (Gilles LARDY) Date: Sun, 7 Jan 1996 01:01:28 +0100 Subject: Need information about Genlisea... Hi everybody, I do not know what happened, but I stopped receiving messages from the 2nd of january, so now I come back to the listserv. First I hope you have had a great Christmas ! Although Barry's articles on Genlisea species are very interesting, I would like to have further informations on this genus. In his book, Slack mentions that the trap may reach the length of 15 cm, does anybody know which species are concerned by this. I have heard that there were two kinds of Genlisea, the terrestrial and the aquatic ones. Which one of the species are aquatic ; does anybody grow them at the moment, or has grown them in the past ? Any other information on the genus will be wellcome. Thank you for your help... Gilles ***************************** Gilles LARDY E_mail : lardyg7@cti.ecp.fr ################### From: bb626@scn.org (SCN User) Date: Sat, 6 Jan 1996 22:15:29 -0800 Subject: Re: Need information about Genlisea... Gilles, The genlesae that I grow here tend toward semi-aquatic to terrestrial like utrics.Some I have had for years in the same one liter clear plastic jar and they have filled it up with little care. As long as they were kept wet and warm 25C and not in too much light they were fine. Truly, -- Tom Kahl/Nepenthes Club ################### From: Tomas Polivka Date: Sun, 7 Jan 1996 02:29:28 -0800 Subject: Sumatra Nepenthes Dear CPers, One of my friend is going to go to Sumatra in March to find some Nepenthes. He asked me for a question to cp conference about some localities of Nepenthes in Sumatra. So please if you can recommend him some of them, please contact me via e-mail. Thanks in advance. Tomas Polivka Dept. of Chemical Physics Charles University Prague ################### From: Jan@pbc-ths1.pci.chemie.uni-tuebingen.de (Jan Schlauer) Date: Sun, 7 Jan 1996 13:48:41 +0100 Subject: Re: Brazilian in Europe Hi Fernando & al. > I'll be leaving England probably on Sunday or Monday for GErmany, >where I will first visit Thomas Carow. The German part of the trip is not >too well sorted out yet Please sort it out as soon as possible so we can arrange something! > I just know I the meeting will be on the 20th in >Mannheim or Heidelberg. The meeting will definitely be in Heidelberg. All those interested are invited to come. We will meet at Peter Harbarth's home in Dossenheim. > I'll keep you Germans informed along the way. TNX. >I'll write from Joe Mullins' in England. OK? Joe, could you please inform Fernando (about the German session)? Thanks. Kind regards Jan ################### From: lardyg7@cti.ecp.fr (Gilles LARDY) Date: Sun, 7 Jan 1996 14:07:40 +0100 Subject: Genlisea... >Gilles, >The genlesae that I grow here tend toward semi-aquatic to terrestrial >like utrics.Some I have had for years in the same one liter clear plastic >jar and they have filled it up with little care. As long as they were kept >wet and warm 25C and not in too much light they were fine. >Truly, > >-- >Tom Kahl/Nepenthes Club > Tom, Which species are you growing this way ? Could you give further details on your method ? Best regards, Gilles ***************************** Gilles LARDY E_mail : lardyg7@cti.ecp.fr ################### From: hansmh@sn.no (Hans Martin Hanslin) Date: Sun, 7 Jan 1996 19:31:37 +0100 Subject: Re: Aldrovanda... Michael wrote> >Can anyone refresh me on the distribution of Aldrovanda, and the kind of >habitat it prefers? A recent article discuss some of these aspects. "L. Adamec (1995) Ecological requirements and recent European distribution of the aquatic carnivorous plant _Aldrovanda vesiculosa_. Folia Geobotanica et Phytotaxonomica 30: 53-61". As far as I recall (I have only read the abstract), this species grows in waters with a high CO2 concentration. To imitate such growing conditions, certainly is worth the effort (own experience with plain aquatic plants)and this should probably apply to the more difficult-to-grow aquatic _Utricularia_ and _Aldrovanda_as well (provided your plants receive adequate light). To increase the CO2 concentration in small volumes of water is rather easy. One simple and cheap method is the yeast method where fermentation of sugar in solution gives CO2 which is directed into the water of your plants. Those interested can check out the Aquatic plant mailing list, FINS (http://www.actwin.com/fish/), The Krib (http://www.cco.caltech.edu/~aquaria/Krib/)or The Aquatic Gardeners Assoc homepage (http://blake.oit.unc.edu/~fish/aga/)where topics concerning the culture of aquatic plants are discussed. (Just mail me for more information). Hans Martin Hanslin ################### From: Chris Marsden <100620.2156@compuserve.com> Date: 07 Jan 96 16:17:20 EST Subject: TC Hormone Concentrations Hi Folks! I've only just joined the list - I'm on the cadge for a bit of information! Does anybody have any information on either Tissue culture of ANY repeat ANY cp's? I intend to use Murashige and Skoog Basal medium from Sigma-Aldrich Chemical Company, and I've been advised to use it half-strength for cp's. Does anyone have any views on this (I'm not trying to start World War 3 - honest ;-) )? Should I use any hormones for normal cp's (Dionaea, Drosera, Sarracenia, Pings, etc), i.e. Kinetin, indole-3-acetic acid, etc? I get the feeling I should use something for Nepenthes, but what? I think that's almost my 20 questions... Oh no, hold on, Should I use something different than MS basal medium? Any other hints and tips extremely well received...... Also..... Has anybody IN THE UK got any N. tentaculata, madagascariensis, rajah or sanguinea which I could buy? I've already got just about everybody's catalogue from outside the UK....... ;-x Thank's a lot. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL.... Toby Marsden, 100620,2156@compuserve.com ################### From: "Andreas Wistuba" Date: Mon, 8 Jan 1996 09:44:06 GMT+1 Subject: Re: Brazilian in Europe > I'll be leaving England probably on Sunday or Monday for GErmany, > where I will first visit Thomas Carow. The German part of the trip is not > too well sorted out yet, I just know I the meeting will be on the 20th in > Mannheim or Heidelberg. I'll keep you Germans informed along the way. > I'll write from Joe Mullins' in England. OK? If anyone from the list meets Fernando this week, please forward the following note to him. Thank you very much. Hi Fernando, nice to hear from you. Please let me know as soon as possible about you schedule for Germany. When do you intend to visit me? I need to know as soon as possible so that I can arrange a holiday from my work. Best would perhaps be the 19th and you could stay overnight for the Heidelberg meeting (Peter lives just 15 minutes from my home). Bye for now, Andreas Andreas Wistuba; Mudauer Ring 227; 68259 Mannheim; Germany Phone: +49-621-705471 / +49-621-7152027 Fax: +49-621-7152028 E-Mail: andreas.wistuba@rhein-neckar.de WWW: http://www.rhein-neckar.de/~carnivor/index.html ################### From: Jan@pbc-ths1.pci.chemie.uni-tuebingen.de (Jan Schlauer) Date: Mon, 8 Jan 1996 11:20:12 +0100 Subject: Brazilian in Germany Hi to all!!! The "Germany meets Fernando Rivadavia" convent will be on Sat. 20. Jan., 1996 in Heidelberg. It will be organized by the German cp society, GFP. For further info, please contact: Dr. Peter Harbarth Frankenweg 18 D-69221 Dossenheim phone: (06221) 869760 This is certainly an opportunity you'll have once in a decade (at most). Don't miss it, everyone (at least in and around Germany)! TNX for your participation. Bis bald! Viele Gruesse Kind regards Jan ################### From: "Paul Temple" Date: Mon, 08 Jan 96 14:16:44 +0000 Subject: Re: CP digest 579 +---------------------------+ TM From: Paul Temple | | | | | | | | Dept: Digital | d | i | g | i | t | a | l | Func: Net Comms | | | | | | | | DTN: 7781-1582 +---------------------------+ Easynet: fangio::temple_p Internet: temple_p@gmt.dec.com Loc/MS: GMT Re: Terry's query on what hardy or tender means. I'm not convinced either is a very scientific term and I'm sure my answer isn't! The words tender and hardy are not confined to Pinguicula. They apply equally to all plants. Generally tender plants come from tropical and sub-tropical climates and these plants are unable to withstand frost. Hardy plants come from temperate climates (i.e. where seasonal chilling brings below freezing temperature and plants from such areas are called hardy as they are able to withstand sub-freezing temperatures. Degrees of hardiness or tenderness vry and you will always find plants that are slightly tender or slightly hardy, so they survive short frosts but can't survive prolonged freezing. Occassionally, plantsa from tropical or sub-tropical countries can prove to be hardy but these are exceptions. Hope that helps. Regards Paul ################### From: Gordon Wells (Tel "(343)-401-6659") Date: Mon, 8 Jan 1996 15:33:22 UTC+0100 Subject: CITES and the EEC Does anyone know what the current policy is on CITES requirements within the EEC ? Two large British CP nurseries (Marston Exotics and Sarracenia Nurseries) now point out in their catalogues that with the new EEC agreements now in force, CITES certificates are no longer necessary for CP shipments within the EEC. However, I've seen other European nurseries (Marcel Lecoufle, Nature et Paysages) and private growers that are still charging for them. Are these people simply not aware of the new situation, or are CITES certificates in fact still required within the EEC ? If anyone has any reliable information on this, it could save some of us a bit of money. Thanks. Gordon Wells Instituto de Cibernetica Diagonal 647, planta 2 Barcelona 08028 SPAIN ################### From: "Paul Temple" Date: Mon, 08 Jan 96 15:04:25 +0000 Subject: UK CP meeting date? +---------------------------+ TM From: Paul Temple | | | | | | | | Dept: Digital | d | i | g | i | t | a | l | Func: Net Comms | | | | | | | | DTN: 7781-1582 +---------------------------+ Easynet: fangio::temple_p Internet: temple_p@gmt.dec.com Loc/MS: GMT Sorry to all non UK subscribers but does anyone know when and where the next UK CPS meeting is? Regards Paul ################### From: "Paul Temple" Date: Mon, 08 Jan 96 16:18:59 +0000 Subject: New (?) Publication on Pitcher Plants +---------------------------+ TM From: Paul Temple | | | | | | | | Dept: Digital | d | i | g | i | t | a | l | Func: Net Comms | | | | | | | | DTN: 7781-1582 +---------------------------+ Easynet: fangio::temple_p Internet: temple_p@gmt.dec.com Loc/MS: GMT Kew Gardens have released a publication entitled "Pitchers in trade", a Kew Conservation Review. Although new to me, it says 1994 on the cover. To quote the cover page this is "a conservation review of the carnivorous plant genera Sarracenia, Darlingtonia and Heliamphora". There are 61 pages, with a very few line drawings, no colour. Contents are: Aknowledgements (big deal!), Introduction, The genus Sarracenia (about two pages on each species, sub-species and form), genus Darlingtonia (3 pages), genus Heliamphora (3 pages), rerefernces and Annexes (what I call Appendices). The annexes includea Sarracenia key, checklist of Sarracenia species, a useful description of IUCN Red Data Book categories, even more useful Proposed new IUCN criteria, US Conservation and Protection Status, Definition of Artificial Propogation (big deal) and a key to Heliamphora. Finally there's a glossary. It's available from the Kew bookshop at a cost of 6.00 pounds sterling. Its not a book for beginners or average collectors and its definately not a coffee table book (i.e. its not pretty enough to leave out to impress your friends). It's the sort of softback that someone would buy if they collect all things to do with CP or if they're a Pitcher Plant fanatic or if they're deeply into conservation. If I missed prior announcements of all this in CPN or elsewhere, just take this as an announcement that it's back in the Kew bookshop! Regards Paul ################### From: Perry Malouf Date: Mon, 8 Jan 1996 13:13:10 -0500 (EST) Subject: East Coast Blizzard Pete D'Amato's recent CPN article notwithstanding, I doubt my N. khasiana would survive being left outside nowadays. The Washington, DC area was just hit by a near-record-setting snowstorm that left better than 18 inches of light powdery snow. All businesses are closed, I've seen 4-wheel-drive vehicles get stuck, and the plows haven't attended to the side streets yet. I have some Dionaea muscipula plants and a few North American Droserae buried outside and covered with mulch and plastic (and snow!). They'll probably survive. On a different subject, is it easier to shovel 6" of snow three times in 1.5 days, or to shovel 18" just once? I opted for the former, and I'm pretty sore in the expected places. The school children must be having a blast. Perry ################### From: uyg@ornl.gov (Joseph Guy) Date: Mon, 8 Jan 1996 14:50:50 -0500 (EST) Subject: Dormancy Hello All, and Happy new year. I have not allowed my Dionea to enter dormancy yet, primarily because it was recovering from an initial poor potting. It has shown its appreciation, and now I would like to have it enter dormancy. I have seen figures as long as 4 months for a dormancy period, and the extremes of placing outside in the snow to leaving in a 50F room. What should be the maximum temperature for dormancy, and the minimum time of dormancy? Point me in the right direction, and I will go there. Thanks! Joseph Guy uyg@ornl.gov He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls. Prov.25:28 KJV ################### From: "Demetrio Lamzaki" Date: Mon, 8 Jan 96 21:09:53 UT Subject: Indoor Lighting Systems Hi Everyone, I want to get a multi-shelved lighting system (preferably with adjustible shelf heights) to grow some carnivorous plants indoors. So far the only plant related catalogues I've seen have one or at the most two styles available at very expensive prices. I wonder if there are any places with more extensive ranges of products? I'd happily buy a used system if it's in proper working order if I can't find a new one for a decent price, can anyone in the U.S. help me on this? Regards, Demetrios ################### From: Perry Malouf Date: Mon, 8 Jan 1996 16:52:26 -0500 (EST) Subject: Re: Indoor Lighting Systems Demetrios wrote: > I want to get a multi-shelved lighting system (preferably > with adjustible shelf heights) to grow some carnivorous > plants indoors. So far the only plant related catalogues > I've seen have one or at the most two styles available at > very expensive prices... I believe you may be referring to the variety of shelf units with fluorescent lights, and a frame of aluminum tubing. Some of them are available with wheels. Yes, these are very expensive and not necessarily best suited for growing CPs. The best advice I can offer, from my own experience, is to forget about the commercial units. You'll do better to build your own. The shelf units have features that you won't need. So, you can build something more suited to growing CPs for less money. At some places you can purchase 4-foot long fluorescent fixtures for not a whole lot of money. The framing is up to your own design and construction skills, not to mention your imagination. Perry ################### From: Robert Beer Date: Mon, 8 Jan 1996 14:27:22 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: Indoor Lighting Systems The commercially-available fluorescent systems do seem to be outrageous; so much so that when I worked in a plant store a couple years back, we just generally never stocked them because they never sold. You are much better off getting some decent adjustable shelving at a home center. You can use plain old plant trays or whatever to keep water from spilling. Shop lights do just fine for the lighting and you can attach them to the bottom of each shelf. If you want to put out a little more you can get fixtures especially designed for plants; which basically means that the reflector is wider. I got my shop lights for about 13 bucks each for a double 4' tube and they are still working 8 years later. Bob On Mon, 8 Jan 1996, Demetrio Lamzaki wrote: > Hi Everyone, > > I want to get a multi-shelved lighting system (preferably with > adjustible shelf heights) to grow some carnivorous plants indoors. So > far the only plant related catalogues I've seen have one or at the > most two styles available at very expensive prices. I wonder if there > are any places with more extensive ranges of products? I'd happily > buy a used system if it's in proper working order if I can't find a > new one for a decent price, can anyone in the U.S. help me on this? > > Regards, > > Demetrios > ################### From: Peter Cole Date: Mon, 08 Jan 1996 23:10:20 GMT Subject: Re: UK CP meeting date? Paul Temple writes: > Sorry to all non UK subscribers but does anyone know when and where the next UK > CPS meeting is? > > Regards > > Paul Saturday 13th January at Reading Uni. ?Botany Dept. I gather it's to start at 2pm, and Fernando will be there. Happy growing, Peter ################### From: Glenn Rankin Date: Mon, 8 Jan 96 18:29:22 PST Subject: dues for ACPS Hi, Does someone know what the 1996 dues are for the Australian Carnivorous Plant Society (for those of us in the USA)? Glenn Rankin rankin@hpl.hp.com ################### From: bertozzi.terry@wpo.pi.sa.gov.au Date: Tue, 09 Jan 1996 15:20:29 +0930 Subject: RE: ACPS Dues Glenn, >Does someone know what the 1996 dues are for the Australian Carnivorous >Plant Society (for those of us in the USA)? The ACPS dues are the same as last year AUD $18 Cheers Terry ################### From: hansmh@sn.no (Hans Martin Hanslin) Date: Tue, 9 Jan 1996 07:33:49 +0100 Subject: Re:seed germination >I have some seed from Allen that refuses to germinate >even with this high GA3 concentration and some others of which only a few >germinate. So I'm not sure if you will succeed with a lower concentration. Could you be more specific about the species that do not respond to your treatment. I am awaiting a batch of seeds from Lowrie and have planned to experiment with gibberellic acid (1 mg/ml). Do you (or any) know if the concentration of GA affects the survival of the seedlings. I applied GA (unknown concentration) to seeds of _U. calycifida_. Both control and treated seeds germinated (70-80% success), with the germination of the control seeds a week delayed. Unfortunately the "treated" seedlings died within a week. Just a coincidence - or are there similar observations? Hans Martin Hanslin ################### From: Johannes_Marabini@fUe.maus.de (Johannes Marabini) Date: Sun, 07 Jan 96 14:03:00 GMT Subject: Re:Nepenthes soils Hallo Christoph, I made the experiences, that Nepenthes in nature are growing in quite different soils. In culture I am using one standart-substrat for all. Also the plants, which grow on ultrabasic soils do not suffer in normal substrat. Ultrabasic is not "basic" in difference to "acid". This soil is rich in magnesia, which is sometimes toxic to other plants in this concentration. Therefor you find many specialists on such soils. And these plants like a little bit more magnesia in the fertilizer! Bye Johannes Johannes Marabini Sperlingstr.10 91315 Hoechstadt/Aisch Germany Tel./Fax 49 9193 4866 ################### From: Oliver T Massey CFS Date: Tue, 9 Jan 1996 09:55:26 -0500 (EST) Subject: Re: Indoor Lighting Systems > I want to get a multi-shelved lighting system (preferably with > adjustible shelf heights) to grow some carnivorous plants indoors. So > far the only plant > related catalogues I've seen have one or at the most two styles > available at very expensive prices. I wonder if there are any places > with more extensive ranges of products? I'd happily buy a used system > if it's in proper working order if I can't find a new one for a decent > price, can anyone in the U.S. help me on this? > > > Regards, > > > Demetrios > > I had this same problem. I used to use a simple, strong utility shelving that came from Sears. It had steel shelves that screwed at each of the four corners into steel posts. Very versatile, very stable and took a lot of weight but rusted badly and tough to adjust when loaded. The newer stuff with corner poles made of lightweight angle iron I found to be _way_ too unstable. Now I am using shelving I made by ripping 2 X 6s for posts. The shelves are rough oak planking from pallets nailed and glued to ripped 2 x 4s. I think I have about 65 sq. ft. of shelf space now -still not enough :). Mounting lights is easy on any of these. If you want inexpensive and don't want to make your own, you might try utility style, if you want neat for the wife, mom or the visiting minister you could try melamine bookcase style. Hope this offers some ideas. Tom in Fl ################### From: L235@aol.com Date: Tue, 9 Jan 1996 10:24:02 -0500 Subject: Re: New CP??????????? A webcrawler search on "carnivorous plants" turned up Sally & Co. Seeds page, an online catalog which lists a "Chinese Fly-Catching Vine" Aristilochia deblis, the description of which states (and I paraphrase): "A carnivorous plant with long, peculiar, insectivorous flowers." I'm just a novice in this hobby, but in all of my reading, I've NEVER come across this cp, and I've seen stated repeatedly that pollination and fertilization are evolutionary separate functions in cps, i.e. you'd be more likely to find a 30' man-eating Drosera than you would an insect-eating flower. Can somebody set me straight on this? ################### From: L235@aol.com Date: Tue, 9 Jan 1996 10:29:11 -0500 Subject: Re: DC-area cp club? I've asked this previously, but in the spirit of the new year (and since I received no responses to the last query) I'll ask again: Is there, has there been, or is anyone interested (besides me) in starting, reviving, etc. a U.S. Capital-area CP club/sub-club? I seem to run into a lot of fellow CPers who live in the Washington DC metropolitan area. A few veterans (Perry Malouf, et al) and lots of newbies/semi-newbies like myself. The advantages seem obvious: personal contact, plant-trades, perhaps even a local newsletter (I'm a writer/editor by trade). Additionally, maybe we could help save the comparatively paltry CP collection at the U.S. Botanical Gardens, or even start a U.S.-native CP collection at the National Arboretum (my mind spins with the possibilities). Look forward to any and all responses, personal or otherwise (just leave my mother out of it ) Hopefully yours, Jay Lechtman (L235@aol.com) Reston, VA USA ################### From: Perry Malouf Date: Tue, 9 Jan 1996 11:19:22 -0500 (EST) Subject: Re: DC-area cp club? Jay Lechtman writes: > ...Is there, has there been, or is anyone interested > (besides me) in starting, reviving, etc. a U.S. Capital-area > CP club/sub-club? I seem to run into a lot of fellow CPers who > live in the Washington DC metropolitan area. A few veterans > (Perry Malouf, et al.... How flattering :-) Admittedly, though, I'm not a veteran _cultivator_ compared with other experts in the area. > The advantages seem obvious: personal contact, plant-trades, > perhaps even a local newsletter... I see a few minor problems with the above. Some people don't want personal contact, or they are very choosy about the people who contact them. There are many reasons for this, not the least of which is security for one's own personal collection. Regarding a newsletter, I think that very quickly there will be a dearth of material submitted for publication. Nice of you to volunteer your writer/ publisher talents, though. > ...Additionally we could help save the > comparatively paltry CP collection at the U.S. Botanical Gardens, or even > start a U.S.-native CP collection at the National Arboretum (my mind spins > with the possibilities). The CP collection at the U.S. Botanical Gardens is neither comparatively paltry nor in need of saving, the last I checked. You may be referring to the plant material on display in the conservatory. There is also a production greenhouse facility in SW Washington, NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, UNFORTUNATELY, with many gorgeous Nepenthes plants. There are also Pings, Sarrs, Droserae, and others all tended to by Bill McLaughlin. When U.S. Botanic moved into their new production facility a few years ago, Bill mentioned having some sort of limited open house but it never came to fruition as far as I know. (I've since lost contact with him altogether). Only a small fraction of the plants are displayed at the Conservatory for a variety of reasons. First, Nepenthes are classified as "Old World Plants", but the only place in the Conservatory that's humid enough to accomodate them is the "New World Plants" room that houses mostly Bromeliads from South America. Now, I personally don't give a darned if "New World" and "Old World" plants are mixed in a display (maybe they can change the name of the display room?). But apparently this is a no-no in the unwritten rules of botanical display. There are also some political hurdles within the organization of the Garden that must be dealt with in order for various things to go on display. Sad, but true :-( Perry ################### From: Jan@pbc-ths1.pci.chemie.uni-tuebingen.de (Jan Schlauer) Date: Tue, 9 Jan 1996 18:30:35 +0100 Subject: Re: New CP? No. Dear L235, >A webcrawler search on "carnivorous plants" turned up Sally & Co. Seeds page, >an online catalog which lists a "Chinese Fly-Catching Vine" Aristilochia >deblis, the description of which states (and I paraphrase): "A carnivorous >plant with long, peculiar, insectivorous flowers." I'm just a novice in this >hobby, but in all of my reading, I've NEVER come across this cp, and I've >seen stated repeatedly that pollination and fertilization are evolutionary >separate functions in cps, i.e. you'd be more likely to find a 30' man-eating >Drosera than you would an insect-eating flower. Can somebody set me straight >on this? Yes, _Aristolochia_ (a fairly large genus of Aristolochiaceae) is able to catch and retain small animals in the flowers for some time, and yes, the flowers are "long, peculiar". But this serves (as you have insinuated already quite correctly) the purpose of pollination, and the insects & c. are released alive after a while to be able to visit other flowers of the same species. So neither is this plant carnivorous nor are the flowers insectivorous. The plant does not (normally) kill its "prey" nor does it digest or absorb anything but its own pollen (or rather pollen introduced by the caught insects from other flowers of the same species). So it is not a fault to have an _Aristolochia_ in the collection but please remove the label "carnivorous". Kind regards Jan ################### From: sportman@students.wisc.edu Date: Tue, 9 Jan 1996 15:38:02 -0600 Subject: Insect-catching flowers (was Re: New CP????) >A webcrawler search on "carnivorous plants" turned up Sally & Co. Seeds page, >an online catalog which lists a "Chinese Fly-Catching Vine" As Jan pointed out, Aristolochia doesn't actually eat insects. Here's some other interesting plants that have structures to trap insects but are not cp's. Most are in cultivation: Coryanthes - an orchid genus in which the flowers have an upside down basin filled with an intoxicating liquid - a bee falls in, gets drunk, and picks up pollen bundles as it staggers out. These can be grown with lowland Nepenthes, if you use a fan for air circulation. Aesclepiadaceae - many milkweed relatives temporarily detain insects in their flowers. Good examples include some Ceropegias (haygarthii, balleyana and others), Pseudomallum pectinarium. Araceae - others know more about this than me, but there's a number of aroids, including some Amorphophallus, which have collapsing flowers designed to temporarily trap pollinators. A little off the cp thread, but interesting anyway. ################### From: Paul Seymour Date: Wed, 10 Jan 1996 09:23:03 +1000 Subject: Tissue Culture Could someone recommended a good book or website for learning about tissue culture? I remember someone on this list mentioning a while ago that they were constructing a web guide to "Kitchen Tissue Culture" which is probably what I'm looking for. Thanks, Paul. ################### From: DAVIDDOG@aol.com Date: Tue, 9 Jan 1996 19:15:27 -0500 Subject: Re: Insect-Eating flowers There are to my knowledge at least four families of plants in which flowers occur that trap and incidentally kill their pollenating insects ( but don't digest them and so are not "carnivorous" ); the waterlily family Nymphaeaceae, the arum or philodendron family Araceae, the milkweed family Asclepiadaceae, and the pipevine family Aristolochiaceae. Less clear are the trapping features of the orchid family, Orchidaceae, where many flowers exsist that variously dunk, slap, tease, imitate, and do practicaly anything but trap their insect. There was rumored to be a trapping orchid: Masdevallia muscosa - if anyone knows anything of it I would be most interested. Evolutionarily, there would be nothing stopping a plant from trapping for consumption any and all non-pollenating insects as long as that did not affect their target pollenator species. Its a fascinating question: why haven't carnivores evolved to more directly exploit the pollenating habits of insects? Or do the pitcher plants do this? David daviddog@aol.com >Subject: Re: New CP??????????? >Message-ID: <960109102400_36209461@mail06.mail.aol.com> >A webcrawler search on "carnivorous plants" turned up Sally & Co. Seeds page, >an online catalog which lists a "Chinese Fly-Catching Vine" Aristilochia >plant with long, peculiar, insectivorous flowers." I'm just a novice in this >hobby, but in all of my reading, I've NEVER come across this cp, and I've >seen stated repeatedly that pollination and fertilization are evolutionary >separate functions in cps, i.e. you'd be more likely to find a 30' man-eating >Drosera than you would an insect-eating flower. Can somebody set me straight >on this? ################### From: Jan@pbc-ths1.pci.chemie.uni-tuebingen.de (Jan Schlauer) Date: Wed, 10 Jan 1996 10:59:37 +0100 Subject: Re: Insect-Eating flowers Dear David, You have raised two not completely uninteresting questions: >Evolutionarily, there would be nothing stopping a plant from trapping for >consumption any and all non-pollenating insects as long as that did not >affect their target pollenator species. In fact, there are many examples of flowers which protect themselves from crawling beasts (which would cause self-pollination more frequently than flying guests which change their "host" individuals more frequently) by means of adhesive secretions on stems, inflorescence axes, bracts, pedicels, calyces, etc. In some cases, these plants are dangerously close to carnivory (at least the wingless taxa thus excluded do frequently not survive their trip to these inflorescences). It may be noteworthy that in the case of glandular bracts or calyx lobes it is mostly the lower (outer, abaxial) surface which bears the glands, and the supposedly more "primitive" representatives of the clade including so well-known carnivores as Nepenthaceae and Droseraceae, viz. _Drosophyllum_, and to some degree _Triphyophyllum_ carry their stalked glands also on the *abaxial* leaf surface. We cannot (yet?) reconstruct the course of evolution with any certainty in these cases but I could imagine these trapping leaves to have been transformed from former adhesive inflorescence structures (NB: _Plumbago_, a suggested non-carnivorous sister taxon of Nepenthaceae, does have glandular inflorescence parts, and of course it has plumbagin, and...?). >why haven't carnivores evolved to more directly >exploit the pollenating habits of insects? Or do the pitcher plants do this? Most cps have traps which are resembling flowers in many respects. In _Cephalotus_ and _Nepenthes_, the traps are much more showy than the flowers (at least to my eyes). Kind regards Jan ################### From: "Carl Strohmenger (HSC)" Date: Wed, 10 Jan 1996 05:55:36 -0500 (EST) Subject: Re: Tissue Culture Books Carolina Biological Supply has 3 books on plant TC. Methods in Plant Tissue Culture by Paul J. Bottino, 1981, 72 pages. Experiments in Plant Tissue Culture by John H Dodds and Lorin W. Roberts, 1993 (2nd ed.), 232 pages. Introduction to In Vitro Propagation by Donald Wetherell, 1982, 87 pages. Their _800_ number is 1-800-334-5551 The catalog is loaded with all sorts of interesting scientific/educational stuff. - Carl ################### From: writserv@mi.net Date: Wed, 10 Jan 1996 08:30:46 -0400 Subject: Re: Insect-catching flowers (was Re: New CP????) >>A webcrawler search on "carnivorous plants" turned up Sally & Co. >>Seeds page, an online catalog which lists a "Chinese Fly-Catching >>Vine" > > >As Jan pointed out, Aristolochia doesn't actually eat insects. Here's >some other interesting plants that have structures to trap insects but >are not cp's. Most are in cultivation: > >Coryanthes - an orchid genus in which the flowers have an upside down >basin filled with an intoxicating liquid - a bee falls in, gets drunk, >and picks up pollen bundles as it staggers out. These can be grown >with lowland Nepenthes, if you use a fan for air circulation. > >Aesclepiadaceae - many milkweed relatives temporarily detain insects in >their flowers. Good examples include some Ceropegias (haygarthii, >balleyana and others), Pseudomallum pectinarium. > >Araceae - others know more about this than me, but there's a number of >aroids, including some Amorphophallus, which have collapsing flowers >designed to temporarily trap pollinators. > >A little off the cp thread, but interesting anyway. ... And let's not forget the ARISAEMA, which is commonly known around New Brunswick, Canada, as the "Jack in the Pulpit." Having grown these for many years because their woodland habitant is being destroyed (I return the pups to protected sites), I have noticed that the mature cups usually contain a variety of dead insects. This is _not_ to say that the plants are carnivorous, just a bunch of dead bugs at the bottom of the hooded spathe. There is no trap; insects may come and go freely. The point is, the thing _looks_ like it should be a CP. Speaking of Araceae, Sauromatum guttatum puts forth strikingly beautiful flowers that have the stench of rotting meat. Flies abound, but as the blooms only last for a few days (thankfully) there is not a probability of carnivorous activity. The rest of the plant is attractive leafy foliage. Rand Nicholson (writserv@mi.net) Canada ################### From: writserv@mi.net Date: Wed, 10 Jan 1996 08:30:53 -0400 Subject: Re: Insect-Eating flowers >There are to my knowledge at least four families of plants in which flowers >occur that trap and incidentally kill their pollenating insects ( but don't >digest them and so are not "carnivorous" ); the waterlily family >Nymphaeaceae, the arum or philodendron family Araceae, the milkweed family >Asclepiadaceae, and the pipevine family Aristolochiaceae. Less clear are the >trapping features of the orchid family, Orchidaceae, where many flowers >exsist that variously dunk, slap, tease, imitate, and do practicaly anything >but trap their insect. There was rumored to be a trapping orchid: Masdevallia >muscosa - if anyone knows anything of it I would be most interested. > >Evolutionarily, there would be nothing stopping a plant from trapping for >consumption any and all non-pollenating insects as long as that did not >affect their target pollenator species. >Its a fascinating question: why haven't carnivores evolved to more directly >exploit the pollenating habits of insects? Or do the pitcher plants do this? > >David > >daviddog@aol.com I think that you have the question wrong. Insects do not have pollenating agendas, they look for food. CPs take advantage of this. Rand Nicholson (writserv@mi.net) Canada ################### From: Peter Cole Date: Wed, 10 Jan 1996 10:42:55 GMT Subject: Re: Indoor Lighting Systems > From: Robert Beer ... > You are much better off getting some decent adjustable shelving at a home > center. You can use plain old plant trays or whatever to keep water from > spilling. Shop lights do just fine for the lighting and you can attach > them to the bottom of each shelf. If you want to put out a little more > you can get fixtures especially designed for plants; which basically > means that the reflector is wider. I got my shop lights for about 13 Alternatively, cooking foil pasted to the underside of each shelf is very cheap, very easy and surprisingly neat if you cut it to size and use wallpaper paste. If you're pasting onto the ubiquitous black-painted metal it's advisable to key the surface with a little coarse sandpaper first. Best to do this before attaching the lights which can be reflectorless, end-cap-connector aquarium types run from a separate control box for the cheapest option (you can piggyback several of these from one box if you get the highest power control box you can find and splice extra lamps into the circuit, but obviously it's a good idea not to let the total lamp power exceed the control box power rating.) Happy bodging, Peter Disclaimer - only attempt the above lighting modifications if you consider yourself electrically competent. If you crosswire the lamps and fuse your house (or worse,) I won't be held responsible. But it works for me. ################### From: Peter Cole Date: Wed, 10 Jan 1996 10:04:52 GMT Subject: Re: Seed germination > Date: Tue, 9 Jan 1996 07:33:49 +0100 > From: hansmh@sn.no (Hans Martin Hanslin) > To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com > Subject: Re:seed germination > Message-ID: <199601090633.HAA04253@hasle.sn.no> > > >I have some seed from Allen that refuses to germinate > >even with this high GA3 concentration and some others of which only a few > >germinate. So I'm not sure if you will succeed with a lower concentration. > > > Could you be more specific about the species that do not respond to your > treatment. I am awaiting a batch of seeds from Lowrie and have planned > to experiment with gibberellic acid (1 mg/ml). Do you (or any) know if > the concentration of GA affects the survival of the seedlings. I applied > GA (unknown concentration) to seeds of _U. calycifida_. Both control and > treated seeds germinated (70-80% success), with the germination of the > control seeds a week delayed. Unfortunately the "treated" seedlings died > within a week. Just a coincidence - or are there similar observations? I'd say 1000ppm was way too high a dose - I use 250ppm for seeds, and have observed this 'overdose' effect on Proboscidea parviflora when I was first playing with GA3 and didn't know about the dosage (well, OK, I mostly just wanted to see what would happen :) I probably had a concentration several times yours. They just burst open in a mass of cells, and then died. I can't comment on how they compared to normally germinating ones, as I'm still waiting for a more sensibly treated batch to sprout, but I believe excess GA3 will at least inhibit rooting. I know that some tissue cultured plants require exogenous GA3 for satisfactory micropropagation (Potato, Dahlia, etc.) but the dosage used is in the order of 0.1mg/L - does anyone know if any CPs (in tissue culture,) fall into this category? And if testament to the power of GA3 was needed, I had a Mimosa pudica germinate the other day in 2 1/2 days after 24hrs in 250ppm GA3!! - not bad for last year's seed! Happy growing, Peter ################### From: "Carlstrom_Rick" Date: 10 Jan 96 14:04:00 EST Subject: Washinton DC Area CP'ers Jay Lechtman from Reston VA wrote looking for CP'ers in the Washington DC area. I am one and have posted three or four times to the list. I live in Alexandria VA I have been interested in CP (Darlingtonia, Dionea, Drosera and Sarracenias) since I was about 12. I have been actively growing CP for at least eight years. Currently I grow S. flava (1), S. minor (3), S. leaucophila (1), S. purpurea (6), D. muscipula (3), D. californica (2). D. capinous (1) (please excuse the spelling). Up until about 3 years ago I only had 3 plants. Your idea of trying to resurrect the pitiful US botanical garden CP exhibit is worth a try. I have often thought about it. However, did you also know that Green Springs Garden Park located on RT 236 about 1 mile west of 395 has a CP bog, also in need of attention. This park is run by Fairfax County on donated land. It might be a better candidate for volunteer work because there will probably be a lot less red tape to cut through and someone on the staff must be interested in CP because they also have a Nepenthes in the green house. Happy CPing Rick Carlstrom ################### From: DDembicki@aol.com Date: Wed, 10 Jan 1996 09:33:39 -0500 Subject: Re: Tissue Culture Books For those of you trying to reach them from out of the USA their Direct Dial 910-584-0381. They also carry live plants. Talk to Gwenette. Dan Dembicki In a message dated 96-01-10 06:13:34 EST, you write: >Subj: Re: Tissue Culture Books >Date: 96-01-10 06:13:34 EST >From: cstrohme@com1.med.usf.edu (Carl Strohmenger (HSC)) >Sender: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com >Reply-to: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com >To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com (Multiple recipients of list) > >Carolina Biological Supply has 3 books on plant TC. > >Methods in Plant Tissue Culture by Paul J. Bottino, 1981, 72 pages. > >Experiments in Plant Tissue Culture by John H Dodds and Lorin W. Roberts, >1993 (2nd ed.), 232 pages. > >Introduction to In Vitro Propagation by Donald Wetherell, 1982, 87 pages. > >Their _800_ number is 1-800-334-5551 > >The catalog is loaded with all sorts of interesting >scientific/educational stuff. > >- Carl > > ################### From: L235@aol.com Date: Wed, 10 Jan 1996 09:54:54 -0500 Subject: Re: Indoor lighting systems In CP digest 585, Demetrio Lamzaki writes: >I want to get a multi-shelved lighting system (preferably >with adjustible >shelf heights) to grow some carnivorous plants indoors. So >far the only plant >related catalogues I've seen have one or at the most two >styles available at >very expensive prices. I built a relatively inexpensive ($100) unit for the bathroom rough-in in our basement with a cheap shelving unit from IKEA, the Swedish furniture place that's popping up around the country. I think the unit name is IVAR. Unfinished pine piece, about 20" deep and 34" wide, perhaps 80" high, with three adjustable shelves. I screwed eye hooks into the bottoms of each shelf, and hung 24" two-bulb flourescent fixtures from small chains, so they're adjustable as well, both are wired together to a single plug attached to a timer. The whole thing is wrapped (around the back and sides) with a white shower curtain, and the front has two pieces of clear plastic shower curtain. I glued velcro up the sides of each, so I can roll it up partway to adjust the ventilation as I need to. It seems humid enough for my orchids, and all of my indoor/tropical cps (include a nepenthes hybrid) except for D. adelae and D. venusta. they're doing much better in a small terrarium I have set up inside this contraption to raise the humidity. If you're interested, I'm sure I can sketch out some plans, but hopefully this is detailed enough. It's functional, it's big, and it was comparatevely inexpensive. Jay Lechtman l235@aol.com ################### From: L235@aol.com Date: Wed, 10 Jan 1996 10:13:29 -0500 Subject: Re: DC CP club Perry Malouf, in responding to my query regarding starting a DC CP club, raises some valid concerns, which I'll briefly address here: >Some people don't want personal contact, or they are very >choosy about the people who contact them. There are many >reasons for this, not the least of which is security for one's >own personal collection. Many clubs meet in neutral territory, i.e. not at a member's home: The National Capital Orchid Society meets at the Arboretum, numerous wildflower clubs in and around DC meet at public gardens or nature centers, etc. Even a local community center would be a possibility. >Regarding a newsletter, I think that very quickly there will be >a dearth of material submitted for publication. Nice of you to >volunteer your writer/publisher talents, though. In the publishing biz, newsletter frequency and page count is dictated by the supply of information. A quarterly or semi-annual publication schedule with a few pages (4, 8, etc.) could easily be filled with classifieds, growing tips, announcements (like the annual Cheltenham Bog open house in Suburban Maryland (nice S. purpurea I'm told), or when the Droserae are blooming in the Cranesville Swamp, etc.) A feature on a local grower or plant would fill space and be useful (and the grower's address could be left off for privacy, etc., etc.) And referring to the comparatively paltry cp collection at the U.S. Botanical Gardens, I was referring to the conservatory display ... being the only thing open to the public, that's all that really counts in my book. Private collections may be nice, but they don't do me or the public any good, you know? Hope that allays your concerns, Perry, and whomever else may be watching this thread. Jay Lechtman L235@aol.com ################### From: L235@aol.com Date: Wed, 10 Jan 1996 10:18:18 -0500 Subject: Re: DC-area CP Message from Rick Carlstrom Rick Carlstrom (Carlstrom_rick@advmar.comnavy.mil) sent me a note expressing his interest in the idea of a DC-area CP club. However, Rick, I can't reply to the e-mail address you provided. I'll send you a personal reply when you can get me an address ... thanks, Jay Lechtman L235@aol.com ################### From: Ivo Koudela Date: Wed, 10 Jan 96 16:50:56 MEZ Subject: help with French & Japanese CP books This message is intended primarily to our French and Japanese colleagues or anybody who can help me with filling necessary data. The CP book file still has some gaps concerning CP books above all in French and Japanese. I think this file can be useful for everyone interested in CPs and therefore I would appreciate any help. Ivo from the Czech Republic ################### From: carl.gustafson@cbis.ECE.Drexel.EDU (Carl Gustafson) Date: Wed, 10 Jan 1996 13:48:34 -0500 Subject: Re: Insect-catching flowers >Coryanthes - an orchid genus in which the flowers have an upside down basin >filled with an intoxicating liquid - a bee falls in, gets drunk, and picks >up pollen bundles as it staggers out. These can be grown with lowland >Nepenthes, if you use a fan for air circulation. >> >A little off the cp thread, but interesting anyway. And ompanions for the highland nepanthes would be members of orchid genera Porroglossum, Condylago and Acostea, all of which have flowers with hinged lips that throw pollinators into the flower. I believe that one or two Australian terrestrial orchids have similar mechanisms. Grow these with tuberous drossera, perhaps? ################### From: Steve Klitzing Date: Wed, 10 Jan 96 11:07:18 PST Subject: Nepenthes pitcher lid deformation Hi: I've noticed something that occurs occasionally with some of my Nepenthes plants. Sometimes, a pitcher gets produced that is deformed. Usually, this means that the cap did not fully grow, leaving mainly an open pitcher. I am wondering if my use of pesticide in the greenhouse could have caused this. Once in a while, I use Black Flag to get rid of ants in my orchids. Could it be, that the airborne insecticide affects the Nepenthes plant in this way? If so, is there a more appropriate way to deal with occasional ant invasions? Also, I've waited about 6 weeks now for Alan Lowrie to fill my order for Nepenthes seed. Is this a normal waiting time for this outfit? So far, I'd have to say the most prolific CPs I've grown are: Drosera Capensis Nepenthes Ventricosa Utricularis Sandersonii In less than two years, the U. Sandersonii has gone from the size of a nickel to filling an entire 6-inch pot. The N. Ventricosa keeps producing huge pitchers for such a small plant. And the D. Capensis just keeps flowering and growing and making more little ones. ---Steve ################### From: Christopher Creel Date: Wed, 10 Jan 96 12:18:44 MST Subject: Re: CP digest 586Nepenthes Seeds Hello, I am looking for sources for Nepenthes seeds. Any leads would be greatly appreciated. Chris ################### From: Clarke Brunt Date: Tue, 9 Jan 1996 21:17:18 +0000 Subject: Re: Dormancy On 8 Jan 96 at 11:54, Joseph Guy wrote: > I have not allowed my Dionea to enter dormancy yet, primarily because > it was recovering from an initial poor potting. It has shown its > appreciation, and now I would like to have it enter dormancy. > > I have seen figures as long as 4 months for a dormancy period, and the > extremes of placing outside in the snow to leaving in a 50F room. > > What should be the maximum temperature for dormancy, and the minimum > time of dormancy? I think that when you see different accounts giving widely different suggestions, it just means that the conditions don't actually matter too much, and there is no single 'right' way. My VFTs get treatment near the top end of your temperature range. About 45F / 7C for several months (warmer than this most days). This is just the normal conditions in a slightly heated greenhouse in the UK. The plants don't go totally dormant - they keep some leaves, but don't grow. They seem to do OK in these conditions, but no doubt cooler would be acceptable too. I come to think that too much fuss is made of this 'dormancy' business, but then I haven't experienced the problems of living somewhere that the Winter is too warm. Just what happens if the plants don't get their dormancy? -- Clarke Brunt (clarke@brunt.demon.co.uk) ################### From: "John Phillips" Date: Wed, 10 Jan 96 12:13:31 CST Subject: RE: Nepenthes pitcher lid deformation > >I've noticed something that occurs occasionally with some of my >Nepenthes plants. Sometimes, a pitcher gets produced that is >deformed. Usually, this means that the cap did not fully >grow, leaving mainly an open pitcher. I am wondering if my >use of pesticide in the greenhouse could have caused this. >Once in a while, I use Black Flag to get rid of ants in my >orchids. Could it be, that the airborne insecticide affects >the Nepenthes plant in this way? If so, is there a more >appropriate way to deal with occasional ant invasions? I've seen insects (aphids, etc.) and various temperatures outside the Neps preferred range cause this on my plants outside. I only use Safers insecticidal soap, so I have no experience w/ other chemicals causing deformed lids. John Phillips Email: phillips@library.ucsf.edu Information Services UCSF Health Sciences Library Rm 202 San Francisco, CA 94143-0840 Ph:(415) 476-8383 FAX:(415) 476-7940 ################### From: Rick Walker Date: Wed, 10 Jan 1996 12:54:40 -0800 Subject: Tissue Culture > Date: Wed, 10 Jan 1996 09:23:03 +1000 > From: Paul Seymour > > Could someone recommended a good book or website for learning about > tissue culture? I remember someone on this list mentioning a while ago > that they were constructing a web guide to "Kitchen Tissue Culture" > which is probably what I'm looking for. Dear Paul, I was the one that mentioned the TC guide. It will be a conversion of a slide-show talk that I gave last year at the SF Bay Area CP club. The status is that the slides are now at Kodak being scanned onto a PhotoCD. They should be back in a week. After that, I will add a running textual commentary and install the whole thing onto the web. Here's a high level outline of the talk: Why bother with TC? Some Definitions: Totipotency Meristem Auxin, Cytokinin, Role of each component of TC growth medium Inorganic nutrients Organic Macro/Micro nutrients Simple Home Recipe and Suggested Commercial Media A demonstration of Kitchen Technique Media preparation Sterilization of plant material Sterile technique Culture Maintainance and planting out cultures Bibliography and list of suppliers I'm shooting for having this on the WEB within a month. Also in the works is a slide show titled: "Pings: care and cultivation", which was another BACPS talk. This slide show has pictures of flowers and rosettes of perhaps 15 common ping species, and discusses cultural requirements for each. The whole talk very heavily leverages Juerg Steiger's classification of pings into four groups: Tropical/Homophyllous, Tropical/Heterophyllous, Temperate/Homophyllous, and Temperate/Heterophyllous. Hopefully, this talk will give you an insight into how to grow each type of ping that you may encounter. I also encourage others who have CP slide shows to submit them to me on PhotoCD along with a text-script of the talk. I will be setting aside a new section on the CP WEB page that will be just for educational slide shows. There is also a possibility for someone to do an "Intro to Nepenthes culture", or "An overview of Utricularia", etc. These talks are free to use and leverage the already existing pictures in the database, but they would simply draw on the existing pictures and tie them together into an interesting narrative. I think that such simple overview slide-shows would make the CP database much more accessible to the non-technical visitor. Best regards, -- Rick Walker ################### From: Robert Beer Date: Wed, 10 Jan 1996 13:31:33 -0800 (PST) Subject: RE: Nepenthes pitcher lid deformation I have had this problem with N. ventricosa in the winter when the temperatures get low. The pitcher develops normally but the lid stops about a third of the way into the development. This is not a problem with any of the other Nepenthes I grow inside, as they just stop pitchering completely in the winter, it might be light, as the others tend to wait till the light levels are adequate and then pitcher normally; i.e. an either-or situation. N. ventricosa just doesn't want to stop. :) See if it doesn't correct itself once the temps warm up and the sunlight gets more intense. Good growing bob ################### From: dave evans Date: Wed, 10 Jan 96 16:45 EST Subject: Re: Indoor Lighting Systems > I want to get a multi-shelved lighting system (preferably with > adjustible shelf heights) to grow some carnivorous plants indoors. So > far the only plant related catalogues I've seen have one or at the > most two styles available at very expensive prices. I wonder if there > are any places with more extensive ranges of products? I'd happily > buy a used system if it's in proper working order if I can't find a > new one for a decent price, can anyone in the U.S. help me on this? > > > Demetrios I have never, repeat, never seen anything worth buying for growing CP in a store or cataloge. Most growers I know construct their own terrariums/ growing areas. This has worked very well so far and I'm finishing up the construction of a 300 gal nepenthes growth chamber for low-land Neps. When using your own designs you can take into acount the number of plants as well as their lighting needs so as not to waste space or light and that = saving money. Dave Evans ################### From: writserv@mi.net Date: Wed, 10 Jan 1996 18:27:19 -0400 Subject: Re: Nepenthes pitcher lid deformation > >And the D. Capensis just keeps flowering and growing and >making more little ones. > >---Steve ... and, unless you take a hammer to it, it will continue to do so - on and on and on ... ################### From: writserv@mi.net Date: Wed, 10 Jan 1996 18:27:22 -0400 Subject: Re: Dormancy >> What should be the maximum temperature for dormancy, and the minimum >> time of dormancy? > >I think that when you see different accounts giving widely different >suggestions, it just means that the conditions don't actually matter >too much, and there is no single 'right' way. > >My VFTs get treatment near the top end of your temperature range. >About 45F / 7C for several months (warmer than this most days). >This is just the normal conditions in a slightly heated greenhouse >in the UK. The plants don't go totally dormant - they keep some >leaves, but don't grow. They seem to do OK in these conditions, >but no doubt cooler would be acceptable too. > >I come to think that too much fuss is made of this 'dormancy' >business, but then I haven't experienced the problems of living >somewhere that the Winter is too warm. Just what happens if the >plants don't get their dormancy? > >-- >Clarke Brunt (clarke@brunt.demon.co.uk) Clarke has made a good point. One of my VFT's is sitting in a northwest facing window that is covered with frost. The temp. outside is -21 C and not much higher inside for the plant(just above freezing). The damn thing is covered with blooms. Two stalks with huge white flowers. It has its' winter leaves and I thought it was dormant. Go figure. Rand Nicholson (writserv@mi.net) Canada ################### From: Adrian Arnold Date: Tue, 09 Jan 1996 22:52:05 Subject: Re: New CP??????? When I saw this posting I thought this was probably what I once grew under the common name of 'Cruel plant' but that turns out to be Araujia sericofera and unfortunately none of my reference books list the Aristilochia deblis. However, I would assume it is similar in which case the flower 'catches' the insect for pollenation. The 'cruel plant' has rather sticky pollen which is supposed to be particularly tacky at night and therefore catches moths by their proboscis until the temperature rises and the pollen thins somewhat, thereby releasing the moth - hence the name:-) It is NOT carnivorous however. Regards, Adrian Arnold. >------------------------------ > >Topic No. 12 > >Date: Tue, 9 Jan 1996 10:24:02 -0500 >From: L235@aol.com >To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com >Subject: Re: New CP??????????? >Message-ID: <960109102400_36209461@mail06.mail.aol.com> > >A webcrawler search on "carnivorous plants" turned up Sally & Co. Seeds page, >an online catalog which lists a "Chinese Fly-Catching Vine" Aristilochia >deblis, the description of which states (and I paraphrase): "A carnivorous >plant with long, peculiar, insectivorous flowers." I'm just a novice in this >hobby, but in all of my reading, I've NEVER come across this cp, and I've >seen stated repeatedly that pollination and fertilization are evolutionary >separate functions in cps, i.e. you'd be more likely to find a 30' man-eating >Drosera than you would an insect-eating flower. Can somebody set me straight >on this? > ################### From: Rick Walker Date: Wed, 10 Jan 1996 15:32:01 -0800 Subject: 1995 CP Listserv Archives on WEB The 1995 CP listserv discussion archive has been installed on the CP WEB page: http://www.hpl.hp.com/bot/cp_home Follow the button labelled "Listserv discussion group", and then click on "CP Discussion Archives for 1995". Cheers! -- Rick ################### From: sportman@students.wisc.edu Date: Wed, 10 Jan 1996 17:36:31 -0600 Subject: re:pinguiculas and gnats Re: the recent thread on Pinguiculas eating fungus gnats...fungus gnats are attracted to yellow - a good way to get rid of them is to use those yellow sticky pads. The big light green leaves of a Pinguicula may well be 'read' as yellow by these gnats... maybe the leaves reflect some yellow-spectrum light. My P. moranensis spends the winter subsisting almost completely on these gnats, and nothing else seems to catch them, not even pygmy drosera. Scott Madison WI ************************************************************************ Alces: Eenie, weenie chili beanie; the spirits are about to speak! Glaucomys: Are they friendly spirits? Alces: Just listen! ************************************************************************ ################### From: CBelan9630@aol.com Date: Wed, 10 Jan 1996 20:16:31 -0500 Subject: Re: DC CP club (it already exists under E. US CP Group)->_Dionaea_ In a message dated 96-01-10 12:59:30 EST, you write: >Perry Malouf, in responding to my query regarding starting a DC CP club, >raises some valid concerns, which I'll briefly address here: > >>Some people don't want personal contact, or they are very >choosy about the >people who contact them. There are many >reasons for this, not the least of >which is security for one's >own personal collection. > >Many clubs meet in neutral territory, i.e. not at a member's home: The >National Capital Orchid Society meets at the Arboretum, numerous wildflower >clubs in and around DC meet at public gardens or nature centers, etc. Even a >local community center would be a possibility. > >>Regarding a newsletter, I think that very quickly there will be >a dearth of >material submitted for publication. Nice of you to >volunteer your >writer/publisher talents, though. > >In the publishing biz, newsletter frequency and page count is dictated by the >supply of information. A quarterly or semi-annual publication schedule with a >few pages (4, 8, etc.) could easily be filled with classifieds, growing tips, >announcements (like the annual Cheltenham Bog open house in Suburban Maryland >(nice S. purpurea I'm told), or when the Droserae are blooming in the >Cranesville Swamp, etc.) A feature on a local grower or plant would fill >space and be useful (and the grower's address could be left off for privacy, >etc., etc.) I am afraid that I only cought the end of a thread here, but there already exists an eastern CP group of people who are not connected to the CP list. For the past 7 years we have been meeting on a fairly regular basis at different sites along the East Coast. The last meeting was at Phil Sheridans house in VA. 40 people were present including one person from Venezuela and one from England. Back in 1991 we gave ourselves the name Eastern Unites States CP Group and are affiliated with the International Carnivorous Plant Society (ICPS). We also put out a Newsletter called _Dionea_ which was sent to over 90 poeple in the last mailing. As we speak, we are working on the next location for our annual meeting and it would be nice if some of you could attend it. It was up for vote in the last newsletter, so the excact place and time is not kown yet. If anyone is interested in this group email me at cbelan9630@aol.com and I will give you more details. Christoph ################### From: dionea@merlin.nando.net Date: Wed, 10 Jan 1996 17:44:05 -0800