Date: Fri, 14 Nov 97 19:35 EST From: dave evans <T442119@RUTADMIN.RUTGERS.EDU> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg4352$foo@default> Subject: Re: Re: Introduction of non-native species
Hello Paul M.
>
> Does d. capensis survive northern winters? (as in 2-3 months of
> rock solid ground here in NJ) Is capensis really this prolific? The
> ones I've seen at Longwood Gardens (indoors) in PA always look on the
> verge of death <snip>
No D.capensis doesn't seem able to survive our winter and neither
can the seed. I have tried a number of times to establish it in my
bogs where VFT has little trouble surviving and coming back bigger
each year.
> I personally believe most introductions of non-indigenous CP would
> result in the death of the new plants. (And now, a moment of stating
> the ludicrously obvious...) I think d. rotunds and intermedias and
> filiformis grow in NJ because the environment is right on the money for
> these plants here...
Well, living things work hard at staying alive. Three or four billion
years of evolution have that effect I guess. CP seeds tend to be rather
dense, so I don't see the wind having much to do with their getting
spread around. However, water ways provide for their best natural dis-
persal. Of course, the very best method of seed dispersal seems to be
the Human. ;)
I can't really agree your paragraph above. The seed grows where it
falls and I don't buy into needing a certain amount of "bio-mass" to
start a new colony of plants. All it would take is an environment that
isn't outright of the Killing Kind for that particular species and one
lucky plant in the right place where something doesn't happen to step
on it, or dig it up and eat it, ect. Just one happy plant making
hundreds of seed faling where this species can make it. Of course, the
more seeds or plants that are placed there at the start will increase
the chances for them becoming established, but I think we're smart
enough to pick out good enough spots that only one plant would be needed
to start a colony. Well, maybe some of us are, anyway (yeah, it would
be up to luck also, but an educated guess is much better than a
guess. :)
Dave Evans
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