Date: Mon, 28 Jul 1997 01:24:44 -0700 (PDT) From: steve steve <stevesteve@rocketmail.com> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg2836$foo@default> Subject: Cephalotus
Hi All,
Im not an expert with cephs but I have a few and would like to add my
two cents worth to the thread (which I am enjoying following).
I have experienced the sudden collapse of C. follicularis after I
bought a very healthy looking one and brought it home. I kept it as I
keep the others but after a couple of weeks it just seemed to give up
life. I suspect that my conditions were significantly different to
those that it had been in previously and that the environmental shock
was the cause of its demise.
Doug Burdic said that he uses the 1:1 sand/peat mix, so do I now and
it seems to be OK. However he also said that the roots shouldnt get
too hot. Some of my cephs are in black pots in the sun so I guess the
roots get pretty warm, as must Paul Temples in the greenhouse at 130F.
If Doug took his plants that are not used to having warm roots and
exposed them to those conditions, I wonder if they would suffer then?
Also there has been some discussion of Mr Hummers giant cephs. I have
had some contact with him and he seems a nice chap. In one of his
letters he discribed the *giant* as the fastest growing clone that he
has seen. Perhaps this speed of growth is the explanation of its giant
status.
One of my cephs is now three years old and is happily living in a
terrarium. It is still small but has a profusion of the flat,
non-trapping leaves this year and is just begining to form pitchers
again (I noticed this morning that it had become infected with D.
capensis seedlings - anyone want a couple? :-).
The Hummer *giant* form appears to have a more open habit and seems to
be growing quite quickly. I keep it in about 1/2 an inch of water in a
3 inch high pot. Over this I have put a clear, disposable drinking
beaker to keep the humidity as high as poss. I will have to wait to
see if it becomes a true giant (anyone fancy trying to induce
polyploidy?).
Last point in response to Paul Temples question about daylength. Does
the ceph recieve 16hrs sun in the wild? I wondered this and produced a
day-length graph for Albany. The maximum day-length appears to be 14.5
hrs and a minimum of 9.75 hrs. So the day length in many of our
terraria is not *natural* but then you are back to the question of
whether the day-length is the critical factor in the plants
distribution. It may grow better in conditions with longer days but is
restricted by the local availability of wetlands etc. Its never a
simple relationship but it is some thing that I would like to do some
more work on. Anyone know any refs. relevant to CPs?
Cheers
Steve
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