Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998 16:06:36 EDT From: PTemple001@aol.com To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg3006$foo@default> Subject: Re: P. alfredae, kew's P.reniformis
P. alfedae grows adventitious plantlets on its leaf ends irrespective of
whether the leaves touch the ground or not. And plantlets have difficulty
rooting whether or not they occur in leaves touching the ground. (Before any
comic replies, I know plants don't root in soil if they never touch it!!! But
plsntlets that grow on leaves that do not toch the ground eventually fall to
ground either by weighing down the leaf or when the original host leaf dies.
In both cases, such plantlets are no better and no worse at rooting than
plantlets that form on leaf ends already touching the ground. In all cases,
self rooting into the soil is very poor.) Equally, humidity seems
uninportant. This is almost cetainly a genetic mutation that makes the leaves
likely to create these plantlets.
The plants are not, repeat NOT, varieties or forms or any other taxa - they
are all the asme species, P. heterophylla. Papalo plants include specimens of
both types, those with plantlets and those without. No other characteristics
separate these plants from each other and, in the wild, the population
spontaneously gives rise to the less common plantlet forming types. So there
is no "alfredae" form, variety, type, etc. though, for convenmience, people
may choose to add non-scientific epithets such as "alfredae" to act as
shorthand for "a plant that does bear plantlets on the leaf ends". If using
the epithet ("alfredae"), it really should be separated from the name in any
list so as not to bastardise the scientifically accepted name, forinstance by
saying
P. heterophylla (the "alfredae" type)
though even this would presumably be inappropriate in a truly scientic
reference.
The Papalo plants are almost certainly plants that were collected by Hans
Luhrs/Stan Lampard (or by others on the same expedition) in Papalo, Mexico,
though I can not be certain that no-one else collected there. At a guess, the
plants Rich Walker got from Jan Schlauer originated from Stan/Hans'
collection and I would also guess were distributed to Jan by Stan. perhaps
Stan, Hans or Jan will comment?
>>>BTW: Regarding what Emre Gurcan said:
>> I don't know if I can do that, but I would guess diffusion plays
>> a significant role. Pinguicula like Calcium (Ca++) in their soil!
>> Soils without it, generally don't support these plants.
>What?? Pinguiculas need calcium?! I didn't know that! So is it better to
>water Pings. with tap water?!
Certainly some Pinguicula perform best when Calcium is in the soil. However,
is anyone suggesting that all Pinguiculas require significant (i.e. more than
a trace) amounts of Calcium?
Re: Kew Gardens /reniformis
Kew had a clone of U. reniformis that was shy to flower. The plants first
flowered for Kew the year they pulled down the wonderful but delapidated "T
Range" greenhouse to make way for the architecturally superb (but it doesn't
feel as good!) Di special (sorry - this bit is gibberish if you don't know the
greenhouses at Kew!). However, before this, they gave me a massive clump and
I distributed it amoungst the CPS membership at that time. (They also gave
me 60+ mature, i.e. 6-8ft tall, Nepenthes of various types but my 100%
distribution of these failed due to the selfish nature of one particular
family in the UK - a story I'd quote if any CP Society ever dreamed of
allowing any member of that family to join!!!). I'm sure that this is how
most of the reniformis plants from Kew were sourced. This clone remains shy
to flower as far as my experience goes. I've seen flowers on my plants 3
times only. My own belief is that the plant would flower more often if
treated better!!!
Regards
Paul
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