Date: Mon, 21 Apr 1997 16:29:48 -0400 (EDT) From: Perry Malouf <pmalouf@access.digex.net> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg1554$foo@default> Subject: Re: Nepenthes Lighting
Adwait Kulkarni wrote:
> ...I always believed that Nepenthes were
> supposed to be mainly rainforest plants. But is it not true that in
> rainforests, there is often only very dim light. If this is the case,
> then how come Nepenthes often do not produce pitchers unless exposed
> to at least partial sunlight?
Nepenthes can be found in a variety of natural lighting
conditions. I've seen them only in and around Kinabalu
Park, as far as naturals settings go. Some were growing
on the floor of dense forest and so received light that
was filtered through fog and forest canopy. I had to
use a flash when photographing these, even though it
was outdoors during daylight hours.
Others were in grassy fields and clearings, exposed to the
full sun.
All Nepenthes in these varying conditions sported pitchers.
Your supposition that "Nepenthes often do not produce pitchers
unless exposed to at least partial sunlight" may be
mistaken, in my opinion, because of two counter examples.
The first counter example is the list of observations I
wrote, above.
The second counter example is my current collection,
which gets no sunlight for most of the year. The
plants are kept under fluorescent lights and many
pitcher profusely.
If you have plants that are not pitchering, I
suggest that there is another cause.
Regards,
Perry Malouf
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