Date: Tue, 09 Dec 1997 10:53:50 +0900 From: ss66428 <ss66428@hongo.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg4664$foo@default> Subject: Re: African Expedition, continuation at last!
Dear Jan,
>> We found N.sanguinea, N.ampullaria, N.gracillima,
>> N.macfarlanei, and N.mirabilis.
>Where have you been, exactly? If you were in the W highlands, chances
>are good that you have seen _N. ramispina_ instead of _N. gracillima_.
Well before anybody else asks, my knowledge of Nepenthes taxonomy is
ZIPPO! I only know a few species and it was Bruce Salmon who had to tell me
that all those different pitchers belonged to the same species, to my
disbelief. So according to Bruce, these were the species we saw. As for where
we went in Malaysia, unfortunately the names were all written down in the
diaries that were stolen upon my arrival in Jo'burg.
I do remember the name of one mountain though: Gunung Tahan at Taman
Negara National Park. Now this, as you know, is the type location for
N.gracillima. But we were not able to reach the mountain top and did not see
N.gracillima there, only N.sanguinea and strange (according to Bruce)
N.macfarlanei - a very small form. We ended up finding N.gracillima in the NE
highlands. (Please correct me if I said anything wrong, Bruce!)
>> Ironically, the first CP we saw was a small white-flowered
>> unidentified terrestrial Utric!
>I trust the alcohol material you doubtlessly collected is presently
>under study and determination...
HA! Alcohol?!? As if I had space in my backpack for alcohol and vials!
You forget I would be backpacking for over a month?? My 'survival kit' for this
period unfortunately would not allow many things such as alcohol to fit into
one backpack. I even had to leave some clothes behind because I couldn't close
the backpack! And unfortunately the herbarium specimens I made were also taken
from me at Jo'burg (hopefully they handed the specimens in to some herbarium...
:):) ). So I only have photos.
>> It was growing in a very wet spot by a stream
>> together with an unidentified flowerless Utric.
>You will certainly be able to determine at least the section to
>which it belongs by the traps in your alcohol collections. You did
>not travel without Taylor, did you?
Taylor's bible??? That huge book in my backpack?!? As if that would
fit too! And considering that I didn't expect to find many Utrics on this trip
(only found around 5 species), I didn't think it would be worth it. I had
planned to herborize anything I found and use these to identify them once I
returned home.
I did not herborize this last species simply because I do not find it
practical to herborize flowerless Utrics, except for the larger-leaved species.
I collected live specimens which Eric Green hopefully still has in cultivation.
If he does, it should flower soon. If he doesn't, I'm sure Robert Gibson (who
is now back in Cape Town with Eric - hi to both!) will go take a look at it
soon at Hermanus and hopefully find it in flower.
Best Wishes,
Fernando Rivadavia
Tokyo, Japan
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