Allen has just sent me his paper on a few new species from the
petiolaris complex. It came out in the latest Nuytsia issue. Unfortunately
I don't have it here with me but I"ll wirte what I can remember.
The species are D.derbyensis, D.darwinensis, D.caduca,
D.broomensis, and D.________ (something related to its "horned" stamens).
Apparently, D.darwinensis is the ex D.sp."mini rosette" and D.______ is
the ex D.sp."medium rosette". D.broomensis is curious in that it
is the only species in this section to have completely glabrous
inflorescences (including the scapes). D.caduca is probably the strangest
of these new species since only the young leaves have traps. The older
leaves are produced later in the season are very long like grass blades
and without traps.
In the article Allen also reinstates D.fulva as a good species
(note here Jan!!) different from D.dilatato-petiolaris. So all of a
sudden this section which only had 2 species until a very short time
ago (D.petiolaris and D.neocaledonica: or were there more?) has
almost doubled in number after this single publication. Other species
described in the past 10 years are D.falconeri, D.dilatato-petiolaris,
D.lanata, D.ordensis, and D.kennealyi. And by what I've heard there are
already a few more on their way to be described. Did I miss any Jan?????
Changing the subject, sorry if I haven't answered some of you, but
I just had my masters course entrance exam today, which means I've been
studying a lot these past few weeks and haven't had time to use e-mail.
I'm taking a short vacation now, but will be back soon.
By the way my friend Fabio in Brazil has told me he's having
trouble answering all the letters he's been receiving from all of you,
especially because he has been busy, already preparing for university
entrance exams at the end of this year. Poor kid, I've been a bad
influence on him. First I get him hooked on CPs and now he also plans to
become a biologist!! So anyways please be patient, he'll send you the
seeds ASAP.
The good news though is that the fantastic bromeliad-dwelling
U.nelumbifolia we collected in the wild in February are apparently well
established in cultivation for the first time ever! Not only have they
flowered but Fabio has even been able to get seeds and fortunately there
seems to be no problem in letting them dry once they're picked, unlike
U.humboldtii seeds. Boy did this news make me homesick, remembering all
my CP trips!!!! 8*(
Best Wishes,
Fernando Rivadavia
Tokyo, Japan