Japanese CP meeting
Fernando Rivadavia (ss69615@ecc-xs09.hongo.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp)
Mon, 18 Nov 1996 20:47:39 +0900 (JST)
On Sunday I went to a meeting of Japanese CPers here in Tokyo,
invited by my friend Isao Takai (konnichi-wa Isao-san!). It was the first
one I was able to show up for (although late). I couldn't understand
most of what was being said, but I had a great time. Luckily, several of
the CPers spoke English and Sodekawa-san helped with most of the
translations when necessary.
The meeting itself was surprisingly well-organized and orderly,
with each person in turn standing and talking about the plants he'd
brought and which were on display in a central table, surrounded by all
others sitting down and making questions. Since I had no way of
following along in this part, I distracted myself with all the tasty
munchies they'd spread out in front of us.
Afterwards I had a chance to take a good look at the plants and
there was some really beautiful specimens! Among my favorites were a
N.ampullaria with many delicate pitchers, a nice and healthy
N.bicalcarata, a large pot with beautifully-colored N.northiana, a pot
with several D.petiolaris "erect", and several Pings in flower.
My favorite was a species which I only remembered having read
the name somewhere in the past: P.moctezumae. It's a really beautiful and
fantastic species! Too bad it's dark-purplish-pink flower was not yet
opened, but the leaves were enough to make me drool. They are very long
and narrow, though nothing close to P.gypsicola and P.filifolia. It was a
long tongue-shape which was just striked me as very different and
beautiful! Difficult to explain.
After the meting I had a very interesting talk with Shibata-san,
the one who took all those beautiful photos of CPs on the Venezuelan
tepuis which are in the CP database. I saw many fantastic slides, a bit
of a video (she supposedly has over 16h just on Venezuelan tepuis!), and
many interesting herborized specimens.
The best news though is that in December she'll be going to
Mt.Neblina, on the Brazilian/Venezuelan border!!! Hopefully she'll bring
back many interesting photos, videos, and herbaria. What I'm most keen on
though (and Jan too, I know!) is the misterious D.meristocaulis, a
primitive species placed in its own subgenus and which many of us would
like to get our hands on and turn it up-side-down and inside-out, studying
it in every way possible. It has long stems which sometimes divide, large
stipules, short leaves, single flowers on short scapes, and only 3
undivided styles. I can't wait to see pictures of this species in it's
native habitat!!! AAAAARGH! The envy is killing me!!!
Fernando Rivadavia
Tokyo, Japan