>First, a status report on Pinguicula jackii. Despite my best efforts at
>killing
>the plant, it is now a gorgeous, succulent and fairly large plant. It has 5
>luscious leaves and really looks healthier than the wild plants I saw.
>I do intend to take some photos soon as well as sorting out earlier wild
>photos.
Congratulations! This is really very good news. It is nice to see this most
important species in good care.
> There is also the possibility I can revisit the P. jackii
>site to get seed (I need a second plant to help distribute this plant,
>otherwise
>anything I distribute will simply be a clone of a single specimen).
Well, even one single clone is much better than none.
>Third, this leaves my 1996 holiday calendar as blank. I'm considering
>visiting
>the Dominican Republic (1 species)
Yes, this would be most interesting. It could resolve the question if
_P.casabitoana_ is indeed conspecific with _P.lignicola_ or not. However,
the plants are allegedly very brittle, and nobody has so far been able to
remove it from the supporting tree trunks without losing the leaves (i.e.
losing the plants). So seed would be necessary, once again.
> or I could go to Northern Greece (several
>ping forms).
Juerg Steiger and I were in N Gr last year. We found/confirmed two
localities of _P.(crystallina subsp.) hirtiflora_, and one of _P.balcanica_
in Voreia (N-) Pindhos (Pindus).
However, we failed to find the locality called "Philippos near Drama" in
the Phalakron Mts. According to Contandriopoulos (pers. comm. by Juerg
Steiger), the (ancient) Philippoi was meant (i.e. a location which does not
belong to the Phalakron!). But when we drove by this one (ruins), we have
not seen wet places. Thus, I cannot promise that you would find this
locality together with living _Pinguicula_.
We have found other _Pinguicula_ populations on Mt.Olympus, Vardoussia
(Korax), Megaspilaeon, and Styx (Chelmos).
Juerg Steiger and Ivo Koudela have later on rediscovered "P.hirtiflora
var.gionae", so I think most described varieties of _P.crystallina
subsp.hirtiflora_ and a fair proportion of clones of _P.balcanica_ have
been seen/documented in situ recently. We/they have made notes of the
accompanying flora, and a report is intended to be submitted to CPN in due
course.
A European "white spot" could be in the S Carpathians of Romania. The
plants growing there have been called "P.vulgaris var.transsilvanica", and
Casper has treated them as _P.vulgaris_. However, the plants are growing at
rather high elevations, and at least the habitat should be interesting.
Well, perhaps Juerg Steiger (or someone else?) has seen these plants
already (have you, Juerg?).
I am planning to visit Mt.Majella in Abruzzo, Italy in July this year
together with a Swiss expedition. I have seen a possibly interesting
species of _Pinguicula_ (not yet flowering in June, 1993) there (Mt.
Focalone, at approx. 2500 m alt). I would like to identify it this time.
However, I do not know if it is still possible to join this trip (you would
have to ask the organizers at Bern).
_P.longifolia subsp.dertosensis_ from E-C Spain has been rediscovered in
the locus classicus by several researchers (Juerg Steiger in 1995, Joachim
Nerz in 1994, myself in 1992), and at the Hoz de Beteta by Juerg Steiger
(the plants identified by Casper as "P.vallisneriifolia" from C Spain
belong to _P.l.d._). However, additional localities of _Pinguicula_ between
Tortosa and Hoz de Beteta were mentioned in the literature, and it would
perhaps be interesting to visit these. Perhaps even the region between Rio
Mundo (a rather extreme northernmost representative of
_P.vallisneriifolia_, if it belongs to this species at all) and the range
of _P.l.d._ may yield surprises...
>(try writing just to me, I'm sure we don't need to bother everyone!).
I am not ashamed of bothering everyone, as others may have ideas to add. To
those who did not want to read this: sorry, and feel free to use the delete
key at any time!
Kind regards
Jan