Cast your minds back to my trip to Cuba.
You may recall I was in the Trinidad mountains, home of P. jackii.
Miraculously I found it. But that's history!
So, always the optimist, I knew I couldn't take plants and seed
was not available but there was plenty of rock! I asked permission
to take a small piece of rock just in case I ever obtained seed. The
plan was to ensure I had rock suited to P. jackii rather than risk
experimenting with media for any seed I managed to eventually get.
Permission granted, I took a small piece of loose rock. I carefully
chose this from just beneath a clump of growing P. jackii (still the optimist
in me). To increase the chances for serendipidy, I also collected some
rock dust.
On return to the UK, I filled a clay pot with horticultural sand (neutral pH).
Then I planted my rock, concave side up. Then I scattered the rock dust on
the remaining sand and over the rock. The whole was then put in a heated
propogator.
I am now both pleased and, to be ever so honest and vain, very proud to
announce that P jackii is evidently alive and well and living in my
cultivator. The seedling now has 4 leaves that are obviously concave,
with a clear curved rim and very sticky. I can't see that there is any
possibility of contamination other than with P. filifolia and these two
species are so distinct as to be unmistakeable.
It seems likely that offsets or cuttings will be relatively easy (I do not
believe P. jackii will be difficult to grow) and therefore available for
distribution within a year or two at most. If I can just get one or
two other P. jackii from Cuba I can even hope to distribute non-cloned
plants in the not too distant future.
I just thought some of you would be interested.
(Incidentally, how come in the last two weeks OII only saw two mails, both
from individuals to me. Is everyone else now bored with the internet?!!!).
(Incidentally[2] - do i get a prize for just accidentally pouring my entire
reservoir of 2000 gallons of rainwater onto my greenhouse floor? Suddenly
I'm wishing for rain!!!)
Regards
Paul