>Regarding toppling _Sarracenia_...
>
>Sure, this happens with _S.alata_ and can be very frustrating. The pitchers
>are just rather flimsy. _S.rubra alabamensis_ and _S.rubra wherryi_ are
>often just as bad. I've used wire hoops as described by (I think) John T.
>I have a clone of _S.alata_---pubescent, which is very sturdy. But I think
>this plant is influenced by _S. purpurea_.
>
>It's a little surprising that your _S.minor_ are doing this, however. I have
>several clones of _S.minor_, both normal and ``giant'' types from Okefenokee.
>None topple over. I've seen them topple, however, when not getting enough
>light and becoming etiolated.
Could be - I use 50% shadecloth on the glasshouse in summer, mainly to try
to keep the heat down a bit (and to prevent leaf burns). Maybe the warmth
and humidity have something to do about it too - I remember reading somewhere
the these factors produce nicely colored, tall (but *weak*) pitchers.
>Now that I think of it, one clone of _S.minor_, a plant from near Okefenokee
>but not really a giant plant, does have a toppling tendency. I got this plant
>from Peter Northcote before he left for New Zealand. Unfortunately I can't
>seem to get ahold of him---I owe him postage/plant money!
Not all of the pithers topple. This is a normal-sized minor, which still
grows to a reasonable size and is fairly wide in the hood. My minor "giant"
very occasionally topples, but this plant doesn't produce many leaves, and
they tend to be supported by other plants anyway.
BTW, Barry. Those minor "Oke" seeds you sent me a while back - are they
the "giant" plants from the Okefenokee the Slack mentioned?
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| John Taylor [Catweasel] | Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology |
| rphjt@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au | Department of Applied Physics |
| | Melbourne, Victoria, AUSTRALIA |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+