>One problem with the second volume of Allen Lowrie's series is that the newly
>named pygmy sundew species and hybrids don't mention what the old names
I know what you mean. I found this to be a little annoying myself. I
did verify with Allen that the plant "Lake Badgerup" IS in fact
D. nitidula omissa X occidentalis occidentalis. The plant is a little
variable. I was given a single specimen of this plant about 3 years
ago, and have propagated it by gemmae to hundreds of genetically
identical clones. In this perfectly controlled environment, I have
observed flowers with 4 or 5 petals, and 4 or 5 red style/stigmas.
One flower had 6 style/stigmas! The inflorescences are usually single
flowered, but this year (in a deeper pot than in previous years) almost
all of the inflorescences were many flowered. All from the same genetic
formula!
>five petalled one. The gemmae don't really look like those in the book
>either although my microscope isn't particularly good.
After examining about a dozen species of gemmae under a very high
quality stereo-microscope, I've come to the conclusion that the gemmae
drawings are only useful in eliminating a few possibilities. Maybe
more practice.... Until then, I'm sticking to flower and petiole/lamina
morphology as keys! Incidentally, Gordon Snelling published (in CPN)
the conversions of the old pygmy names to the new ones.
If you want, I, or Mike (Nudge nudge) could email off the correct names.
>I think that my D. arcturi seeds that my parents collected in Tasmania
>have finally germinated after a YEAR or so, but it's too early to tell.
>The seeds were refridgerated over winter and sowed in the usual
>peat-sand mix, and had been passed off as duds. A couple of days ago I
>noticed some tiny sundew seedlings in the trays, which don't look like
>any of the other sundews I have. More details as they come to hand ...
Ooh ooh! I've had arcturi seeds sitting around for about a year too, and
NOTHING. I've also HEAVILY stratified some, and even FROZE others.
Nothing yet. I wish you luck!
Peter, you know, I think that I do agree with you that Polypompholyx
shouldn't be reduced to subgeneric status. U. tenella and U. multifida
are the only two Utrics with four calyx lobes, and the traps are
different, although there IS an interesting variation in the types of
traps in other Utrics. Still, I will bow to TAYLOR here (as he
grumbled). :-)
Oh, some final words on chasmogamy/cleistogamy in Utrics. First off,
U. virgulata was a name for cleistogamous juncea, not subulata. But,
the same mistake was made for subulata. In fact, a separate GENUS
was once proposed for U. subulata in the cleistogamous state!
Anyway, TAYLOR (Peter's 1988 monograph, not Paul!) says that when
cleistogamous, subulata's reduced or crumpled petals can also
be WHITE or REDDISH. Sounds like your plant, huh Mike?
I got Allen's catalogue today. I was sorry to see that he has raised
his prices some. Petiolaris complex now $26.50 (AU), gemmae now
$8 (AU), etc. Seed packets are still $3. Tubers a bit more expensive,
too. I think I might get some U. menziesii from him, and also a few
tubers, but I don't know about those petiolaris plants...