Date: Mon, 19 Oct 1998 18:25:12 From: SCHLAUER@chemie.uni-wuerzburg.de To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg3321$foo@default> Subject: Re: _Triphyophyllum_
Dear Miguel,
> I have only one question about this plant: what's so difficult about
> growing it? Why isn't this plant yet in cultivation?!
> I don't understand! Anyone has an idea about this?
We do grow this species here at the Botanical Gardens of Wuerzburg,
so the plant definitely *is* in cultivation since quite some time
already.
We do need all the plants we have here for our experiments so it
will unfortunately not be possible to share plants in the near
future, but I might perhaps share some experience (there will be a
more detailed paper on cultivating _T. peltatum_ in CPN soon).
NB: We have so far *not* been successful in obtaining carnivorous
specimens of _T. peltatum_ in cultivation.
First, of course it depends on where you want to grow _T. p._. It
grows successfully at the Botanical Gardens of Abidjan, Ivory Coast,
but this is not very surprising because the plant is native there
(not exactly in the Gardens but in Ivory Coast, at least). The plant
obviously needs tropical rainy forest climate. This will usually not
be encountered on a windowsill in the arctic, boreal, temperate,
subtropical, or desert zones. Therefore, you will generally need a
rather sophisticated greenhouse.
Second, the plant is very likely to perish if it does not have an
intact root system (like _Drosophyllum_). It is, therefore, close to
impossible to dig out a plant from the wild in such condition that it
will survive in cultivation for protracted periods of time. The soil
at the natural habitat is difficult to dig into (fine gravel), and the
roots are very thin and brittle.
Third, seed matures when it is impossible to travel in Ivory Coast
(heavy rain turning the dirt-roads into streams). You have to be in
situ before the rain starts, and you cannot go home before it stops.
Time is money in Ivory Coast as everywhere, and it took ten years
(of negotiation, not waiting) and quite a fortune to obtain viable
seeds.
Fourth, the plant is sensitive, to say the least. The most sensitive
_Nepenthes_ is a weed compared to _Triphyophyllum_. _T. peltatum_
will not forgive you if you forget to water it once, and it needs
water quite frequently (at least two times a day) because of the very
porous substrate. If you use a tighter substrate, the roots will rot
away.
The plant is nothing for the commercial grower, at least at the
moment. It is too demanding for the rather poor "show" (more than 95%
of its lifetime it is not carnivorous). Even the enthusiast will have
to be of the frustration tolerant sort in order to enjoy the plant
appropriately. Once in the (post-carnivorous) liana stage,
_Triphyophyllum_ is less sensitive (but still not at all immortal!)
and rather decorative (but it takes up a lot of space; in the wild
the liana can reach a height of 70 m!). Attempts to divide such adult
plants by cuttings have failed so far (anyone surprised?).
Kind regards
Jan
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