I agree with you, that from single clones, which are In Vitro grown, we
cannot save the genome, so we should try to save several clones and
indicate it, to be sure, to beware all the different clones in
cultivation and not end in just a single, maybe quickly growing clone.
E.g. from N. ephippiata we have sown I think several dozens to some
hundred clones from different plants (by the way, one plant can get an
enormous amount of seed compared to other species). In it's original
habitat I think there are growing several hundred, maybe about thousand
plants, I don't know really, but the habitat is quite large and the
population is very homogen; I just want to say, that it should be enough
material now, to keep a good variability in cultivation, e.g. to get
later on a new population in nature. I think, that the genome of several
of the endangered species is quite homogen, just think at N. rajah or N.
villosa, which propagate themself in nature mostly vegetative by
rhizomes; just a tiny tiny percentage of the seed will get ever a mature
plant.
But I am sorry, I fear that we will not be able, to introduce culture
grown plants back into natural habitats, because in some years you won't
find anymore natural habitats of several species. It is sad, but just
have a look to such regions like the limestone-mountains in E-Kalimantan:
There have been a lot of interesting Nepenthes-habitats, but they have
burnt down (nearly all of them) but they have been burnt down, before
anybody could explore it's vegetation.
But from Kew I have read a paper, where they mentioned, that they want to
reintroduce Ex-Vitro N. pervillei back to their natural habitats. I do
not know, how it has gone on, but I wish them much success.
The same with D. regia, where in nature just two populations with less
than 100 or 200 plants are known; here tries Thomas Carow to reintroduce
some Ex-Vitro-plants to its natural habitat. In such cases it is a good
thing and legitime, but please don't try to bring species to a totally
different habitat; e.g. never introduce Nepenthes-populations in
S-America; you will disturbe it's natural balance.
Labelling:
It is quite important, but as Andreas mentioned, the locality (mountains
or sth. like that is enough). There are so many slightly different
populations of one specie, which are for the knowledge of evolution of
the species enormous important.
So long
Joe N.