Date: Wed, 03 May 2000 08:12:44 +0100 From: Nigel Hurneyman <nhurneym@uk.oracle.com> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg1373$foo@default> Subject: Miscellany
Stan Lampard's explanation of his notation for Pinguicula laueana
flower colours ruined one nice possibility. CP (as in CP1, CP2, CP3
etc) stands for cerise-purple, thus ruining any prospect of a small,
metallic white flowered form earning the designation CP30 ;)
(Star Wars).
According to a weekend newspaper, Chinese customs officials confiscated
a consignment of crocodile clips quoting CITES regulations. Another
landmark success for CITES, I presume.
Overhauling my rhubarb patch at the weekend, I noticed that water
collects in the leaf axils, particularly on the flower stalks. And in
one there was a gelatinous blob, which turned out to be a badly
decomposed slug.
I don't think that anyone would dispute that rhubarb attracts its prey,
and it certainly benefitted from the death of the slug, so the enzyme
test is needed to decide whether rhubarb is sub-carnivorous or fully
carnivorous (don't forget, rhubarb is a distant relative of Nepenthes).
Unlike most CP's, rhubarb actually sacrifices photosynthesising material
as bait. And if anecdotal evidence is to be believed, many CPs reduce
their carnivory when flowering, whereas rhubarb increases its carnivory
when flowering.
I apologise to Fernando for introducing his name into the 'wild
collecting' debate via my Drosera meristocaulis example - I didn't try
to ascribe any particular course to him, merely to try to elicit what
advice people would give him if he were ever in that situation. However
friends who know him better predict that Michael's comment about
squashing the plant for a herbarium could be close to the mark :)
Good Growing, NigelH
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