CP's sent to US from Europe

MALOUF@ESTD.NRL.NAVY.MIL
Thu, 3 Jun 1993 15:34:37 -0400 (EDT)

Hi,
Tom Markson was kind enough to forward e-mail to me, concerning
the availability of N. Raja from a Mr. Uwe Westphal in Germany. These
are "in vitro cultures/without pot". I have some questions about this
which some of you might be able to answer.

1) What exactly is an 'in vitro' culture. Yes, I know what the Latin
means, and I've had some biology, but I don't know how such a culture
is made, and, more importantly, how it must be cared for at first.

2) Is the survival of such a culture in transit from Germany to the US
a good prospect? I would be willing to pay extra for a next day
delivery (or the international equivalent, maybe 2 days?).

3) Does such a shipment get delayed at the airport anyway for an
inspection? In that case, rushing the order may not help.

4) The e-mail said "...I assume these are VERY small plants. If the
Nepenthes are more than an inch in diamater, I'd be surprised."
An inch-dia. Nepenthes vine is pretty big in my experience. Are
we talking about a thin section of the vine, which has been
cultivated in a sterile environment? What exactly can one
expect these "plants" to look like, and how delicate are they
compared to a fully intact plant?

Thanks in advance for your answers, and patience.

Perry Malouf
Malouf@estd.nrl.navy.mil