Are you saying that these plants are better preserved in private collections
than in the wild?
> >How many times do plants have to be collected in order to become
> >established in cultivation? Every N. American CP spp. has been
> >collected and tried in cultivation--many times. Why is there any need
> >to collect any more?
>
> 1) genetic diversity
Why do you need more genetic diversity? For conservation programs, yes
preservation of genetic diversity is a concern. But we have not been
talking about conservation programs, and hobby/commercial growing is not
conservation.
> 2) new mutations / forms
Not likely to be rapidly evolving in nature. Better results can be obtained
by irradiating tissue culture callus.
> 3) saving plants from sites that will be developed
Well, If the plants don't enter a conservation program geared for
reintroduction then I'm not so sure they are "saved". More like "not wasted"
in my opinion.
> >Why can't people obtain thier plants from
> >cultivated sources rather than the wild? Have plants fallen out
> >of cultivation? Shame on the growers!
>
> You really can't mean this? And what do you call yourself then?
Ah em. Lets say I'm more a conservationist than a grower, if you want
a label.
> >What does this say about the longevity of plants under cultivation? And
> what >does the lack of longevity and dissemination say about the idea that
> cultivated >plants will deter collection?
>
>
> An appetizer perhaps. How can you say that plants have fallen out of
> cultiation? What stats. do you have to back this up with? Sounds like you
> got carried away with unfounded speculation.....
I believe that Nepenthes were very popular Wardian case plants in the
Victorian era. Many of these fell out of cutivation when the fad passed.
Recently people have been here discussing carnivourous bromeliads. Many
people said they used to grow them, their plant died, now where can you get
them? Who is monitoring these cultivated populations? If a plant is not
profitable it won't continue to be propagated by nurseries, and will only
be disseminated slowly from grower to grower...
> The first priority should be the preservation of habitat and the next best
> thing is to save the plants themselves. The key to it all is the further
> distribution of plants. If your specimen happens to get eaten by your cat,
> then you can get a piece back from a friend. This doesn't mean that the
> plants are impossible to grow as you suggest. Those who don't really
> understand the plants may find them hard to grow them for the long haul.
I don't suggest the plants are impossible to grow, but rather that hobby
collections are not a safe habitat for the plants. Sure you could ask
your friend for a cutting, but what if his died? More importantly, if
you were to die, or become incapacitated, what would happen to your entire
plant collection? How many growers on this list have a contingency
plan to protect their collection if this happens? We are all mortal.
Michael Chamberland