Dave Evans
Nobiles
dpevans_at_rci.rutgers.edu
Posts: 490
|
Post by Dave Evans on Jun 26, 2009 7:49:53 GMT -10
Well, I have heard via Rich Sivertsen who spoke directly with Turnbull and Middleton about many of the plants they found when botanizing in southeast Asia. They described finding two different N. merrilliana populations, one with free standing plants with bucket-sized pitchers sitting on the ground in circles around the plants. I wish there were some photos from their trips...
Rich, care to elaborate?
|
|
|
Post by sdcarnivores on Jun 26, 2009 9:30:59 GMT -10
So EP's merrilliana is a male clone, and Leilani's is a female? And If my observations are correct, the two clones seem to be very similar in size and other characteristics. I believe it may be true that the female species in a cross exhibits a slight dominance in the hybrid.
|
|
obregon562
Nobiles
"I do believe Im feeling stronger everyday."
Posts: 387
|
Post by obregon562 on Jun 26, 2009 9:42:54 GMT -10
Geoff, wow! I saw the second pitcher (with the bucket), but that first one is insane! Did you do anything (than what you already do! special to coax that plant into throwing out such a beast? Are pitchers that size regular for that plant? Dave, That sounds incredible! Talk about cool! Im with sdcarnivores. Make some giant seeds!
|
|
|
Post by rsivertsen on Jun 26, 2009 9:58:28 GMT -10
Well, I have heard via Rich Sivertsen who spoke directly with Turnbull and Middleton about many of the plants they found when botanizing in southeast Asia. They described finding two different N. merrilliana populations, one with free standing plants with bucket-sized pitchers sitting on the ground in circles around the plants. I wish there were some photos from their trips... Rich, care to elaborate? Hey guys, John told me that he saw some stands of N. merrilliana that grew without prehensile tendrils, and produced massive pitchers from very long tendrils, while yet another stand had plants that were smaller in size and produced prehensile tendrils; he stopped short of speculating if it was due to any hybrid influence, and mentioned that in all other aspects, the plants appeared to be identical, and that each population was fairly uniform with the plants all being very similar. He also mentioned that he saw some variability in various stands of N. truncata, with some plants also producing massive pitchers, and did mention that there may be some gene pool contamination in some populations as some obvious F1 hybrids were rather common (probably with N. alata.). Many of these areas within the Surigao Penn. were being disturbed by logging and development, with new roads and travel through the various populations resulting in some hybridization. - Rich
|
|
|
Post by ep on Jun 27, 2009 14:49:51 GMT -10
Hi All, Sam, Yes this is one of the largest we have produced to date. Many around the 2 litre mark and many taller but this one had the largest volume. I would speculate that there is more chance that plants in cultivation will continually produce optimum sized pitchers due to their needs being constantly met, where in nature it is rare that the plants needs are constantly taken care of, it is more of a random event. In the wild the occasional large pitcher (larger than has been described) has been seen, however this is the exception. Yet in cultivation the plants can exceed these described sizes, as can be seen with our recent N.boschiana photo for example, with constant care and control of cultivation needs. Hi Lam, Yes this plant came from BE but I am pretty sure that it was from seed. I say this as we bought 10 plants and 8 were the species and 2 were hybrids. Out of the plants we have left of the species they all vary in size and shape. Speculating again, I would say that plants with smaller pitchers in the same conditions are N.bellii hybrids, complex or otherwise. These 2 species are very close in plant morphology and it is difficult to tell them apart. In the field it would be easy to see two plants with different size pitchers that may be slightly different in shape also, and say that is variation in the species. Yet in a controlled environment, like a nursery with the same plants, one would have to ask other questions to understand the differences. So therefore I would say, no, not everyone else in the world has this or our other clones. I don't even think BE has N.merrilliana in tc? As for N.truncata, if they came from us they are all seed grown individuals from our many different seed grown parents. Cultivation definitely plays it's part! It really is a balance. I wish we could grow a N.rajah this big! It will come though Steve, We have seedlings just germinated of this male with one of our females. The female plant is not quite as big as the male plant yet but still the dark pink colour. Our aim is always to produce the best, in our eyes, a species can be with our breeding. Also N.merrilliana x xtrusmadiensis and N.merrilliana x N.Gothica. Frankie, All the photos are of the same pitcher. No difference in cultivation techniques from normal. I think the big difference that a lot of growers don't realise, is that Nepenthes plants are not mature just because they have flowered. It can take many years and base shoots to see a plants full potential. This particular plant always has several pitchers on it over 2 litres but this was the largest, to date. In our situation the plants do best in Spring and Autumn so this seems to point at them being intermediate like N.truncata. Rich this plant produces both the large rosette and prehensile tendrils on it's upper pitchers when it climbs. Cheers, Geoff
|
|