Date: Wed, 07 Oct 1998 16:06:43 -0700 From: Doug Burdic <dburdic@presys.com> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg3237$foo@default> Subject: Re: Fly-traps
Hi,
All these recent postings about large Venus Flytrap clones on the list
reminds me of a Peter Paul's Nurseries advertisement for "Atomic Mutated
Venus Flytraps with traps from 1 to 3 feet long: Priced 3 for $4.50". I
saw this back in 1973 in 'The Catalogue of American Catalogues' by Maria
Elena de la Iglesia: Random House Inc. I followed up on this one of
course..who wouldn't? Needless to say, the plants were just ordinary
Venus Flytraps, but I'm glad I saved that ad. I have it in jpg format &
if anybody would like to see it, let me know and I'll send it. I think
it would be a violation of list rules to post large scanned file here,
otherwise it would accompany this message.
Best Wishes,
Doug
Doug Burdic
dburdic@presys.com
========================================================================
Phil wrote:
> Hi,
>
> >With all the talk on Fly-traps in the last digest, I was wondering: Is anyone
> >doing any line-breeding for size in Dionaea? I am thinking of isolating all
> >of the larger clones I have and interbreeding them to see if the size can be
> >pushed a bit. A 12" diameter plant with 3" traps might be a reality?!?
> >
> Yes I have started down this road but it is very early days yet. This
> year is my first serious attempt at crossing the various Dionaea clones
> which I have collected over the previous few years. The largest clone I
> have so far has traps in excess of an inch and three quarters and
> particularly long petioles giving. Potentially this plant can reach
> eighteen inches from trap to opposite trap - quite a monster. I say
> potentially as the neccesity of allowing the plant to set seed reduces
> trap growth and production. This clone has been unofficially names as
> South West Giant - a reference to a Carnivorous Plant nursery here in
> the UK rather than any reference to the South Western USA. I know that
> it cannot be named as a cultivar without first being published and AFAIK
> a text is in preparation.
> >
> >Many of the plants do not seem to produce the spindly summer tall leaves and
> >instead keep the tight ground-hugging rosettes year-round. These are much
> >prefered. Is this known to be genetic or cultural?
> >
> It is certainly something I have observed and it would appear to be
> genetic rather than environmental although AFAIK no work has been
> carried out to establish this as a fact. I have also observed clones
> which consistently produce the long spindly petioled traps all year
> round.
>
> Regards,
> --
> Phil Wilson
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