Collecting

Michael.Chamberland (23274MJC@MSU.EDU)
Tue, 22 Oct 96 09:11 EDT

> From: barry@as.arizona.edu (Barry Meyers-Rice)
>
> >> I would like to see a collection of guaranteed species of Sarracenia back
> >> up by DNA checking to be used as both a reference and a source of true
> >> species for collectors.
>
> >I really cannot understand the desire for "pure" or "true" species among
> >hobby growers. If we are talking about a conservation program, or about
> >a research project, then this kind of purity is important. But most
> >hobby growers grow CP because the plants look cool. If it looks cool,
> >why sweat over whether the plant has some hybrid blood (phloem?) in it
> >from a few generations back? I worry that this desire for "pure" species
>
>
> First off, let all readers be advised I know Michael well, so if this sounds
> at all flamey, it is not...
>
> Michael, I'm kind of surprised at you. After all, you collect cacti...
> Growing plants is *not* a logical thing---don't try to interpret it from a
> logical viewpoint. Why do people want to grow Sarracenia, but don't care a
> whit about Jack-in-the-Pulpit, which has many similarities? For some
> halfbaked reason, CPers have gotten it into their heads that they want to
> collect CPs. And most collectors are goal-oriented and a neat goal is to
> have *every* Sarracenia. Especially as this is an achievable goal. It is
> the mountain asking to be climbed simply because it is there. If this

Ah, but the collecting drive is malleable! Some CP growers get interested
in abject weeds like Capsella bursa-pastoris, or a couple nondescript
tank bromeliads because they've been billed as carnivorous. And then
there's Stylidium, which has captured interest even though it's not CP.
I guess the attraction lies in the "collectibility" of the things, to a
large degree.
For me, I've become tired of this kind of illogical drive consuming too
much of my time and resources (maintaining a big living collection is a
real ball & chain). So I don't collect plants anymore. I just maintain
the few I've got. Moreover, I've tried to use that "malleability" to channel
my interests away from the charismatic plants and more toward... aquatic
Utricularia. What I'd really like to do is cultivate a personal interest in
Juncus or Scirpus...

Michael Chamberland