If plants were more redily available on the market, I think collection of
plants from the wild would still occur (especially collection by neophytes
who haven't looked at mail-order nurseries, but have found CP in habitat).
Tissue culture and modern propagation techniques are great for mass
propagation. For some CP the demand may not be enough to support this kind
of production. But in this case hobbyists can do much to keep plants in
cultivation by sharing/trading plants and seed.
> For years, I searched for specimens of these plants in every nursery I saw.
> Rarely, did I find anything but VFTs. When I did find something else, I
> usually bought every specimen they had and asked for more! (My wife says I
> get this green glint in my eyes....) If I had walked into something like
> California Carnivores a few years ago I think I would have thought I had
> died & gone to heaven ...my wife, I am sure, would have thought we had gone
> in the other direction!!
What kinds of CP are you looking for which are not available? Are you
interested in exotic species which have not been brought into cultivation?
Are you seeking unusual forms or cultivars of redily available species
(ie. S. flava "copper top" or all-red VFT), or are you interested in
species which have not been of interest to collectors, and so a market
has not arisin to supply them (ie. North American aquatic Utricularia)?
Do you have a specimen of all the CP species which are currently available?
I've been under the impression that quite a few are on the market, and most
people are limited only by thier space or budget (or both!).
Michael Chamberland