Darlingtonia

From: Doug Fung (dkfung@lynx.net)
Date: Sun Aug 29 1999 - 16:39:04 PDT


Date: Sun, 29 Aug 1999 16:39:04 -0700
From: "Doug Fung" <dkfung@lynx.net>
To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com
Message-Id: <aabcdefg3078$foo@default>
Subject: Darlingtonia


     I have just returned from Oregon and have seen the difference that
conditions can make to the growth of Darlingtonia. I saw two different sites
with Darlingtonia separated by no more than a few kilometres. One was on
the south exposed margins of a lake exposed to the full sun. The soil was a
sandy mix with a peaty organic layer on top. The organic layer held the
water but was not overly wet. The top layer was fairly compacted and plants
in this location grew to about 30 cm.

    The second location was exposed to partially filtered sun and growing in
pure sopping wet sphagnum. The plants in this location were well over a
metre.

    The only differences I can see between these two locations is the
growing medium. The water and temperature seemed to be similar and I don't
think the sunlight would have made much of a difference as some of the
plants at the sphagnum site were exposed to full sun.

    I talked to a state park naturalist and she mentioned that there were
two types of Darlingtonia in the area - something I've never heard of but
the differences in size of traps, flowers and seed pods in these two
locations were striking.

I've got lots of seeds of the "giant" type if anyone is interested.



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