RE: Evolutionary tangent
Nigel Hurneyman (NHurneyman@softwar1.demon.co.uk)
Wed, 19 Jun 1996 09:31:05 +-100
1) Scottish CPs Hi Richard, you may well also find natural hybrids
between the native Droseras. I suspect that you might also encounter
some aquatic Utrics in the highlands (Vulgaris, Minor - Phil, do you
know?). You definitely won't meet any Drosophyllum unless you stop off
at some Botanical Gardens on the way - I believe Edinburgh is worth a
visit for CPers, although on the wrong side of the country. 2) Cites in
Europe The UK bureaucrats have told my local cactus society branch that
they can ship anything anywhere in the EU without CITES permits. If
Germany requires CITES permits in addition, it is a bit of a joke as
Germany seems to be the main entry point into the EU of 'forbidden'
plants eg Aztekium Hintonii. What you do have to be wary of,
particularly in the UK, is untrained customs officials. Guido, I can
understand your hatred of CITES, but many CITES officials are unhappy
about the practices carried out in their name. CITES was set up
principally to be a monitoring organisation rather than enforcement, but
many people feel it is worth putting up with the political intrigue and
petty officialdom in order to have some globally recognised body trying
to act on behalf of endangered species. 3) Barry M R is evil. Barry, I
looked at your list and drooled, but the practical difficulties of
getting plants to the UK has already been mentioned by Phil. OK, you
clearly have the moral high ground regarding the disposal of your
plants, but have you really done any favours by escalating the comments
of your unhappy would-be customer? 4) Germinating Pygmy Droseras I
killed a colony of Drosera Pygmaea last winter. I put the pot aside, to
discard the contents when I had more time, and forgot all about it. It
has been standing in a most inhospitable place, right next to a large
expanse of glass, where the temperature often exceeds 100F. However it
has been getting watered once a week or so. Yesterday I went to throw
out the pot and found some D. Pygmaea seedlings. It looks as though
pygmy Drosera seed need exposure to very temperatures to persuade them
to germinate.
Good Growing, Nigel Hurneyman