Rainforest's Best Hybrid Award

[rainforest]

This is a recognition of hybrids made that has astonishing merit that excels either parent's potential. While you may or may not be able to own them, knowing their potential and possibly seeing their hybrid advantage used in future breeding efforts will help you select plants from these select hybrids!


Michael

[rainforest]

While there are many excellent hybrids that will grace the posts, many will focus on their coloring or perhaps the use of rare or difficult to flower species. The criteria for these selections will be based on ease of growth, producing pitchers that are not just attractive but functional as if produced by mother nature herself, plants that exhibit development and size far superior to their parents and hybrids that I feel will continue to further nepenthes breeding efforts for their contribution as a future breeder themselves.
One of these hybrids that should be mentioned is N. boschiana x maxima Wong.

This hybrid boasts huge pitchers of vivid coloring and substance. The plant growth is compact and the combined appearance looks better than either parent used.
I would go on to say that this hybrid is also easy to grow in colder to very tropical climates. A trait that we all want a hybrid to possess. Imagine crossing this with N. izumiae, truncata, spectabilis. It can only get better after that!

Another cross of merit is Kevin Wong's N. spathulata x boschiana.


M

[rainforest]

Another inductee is N. eymae x veitchii h/l Mansell.

This has got to be one of the best hybrid for veitchii to date. It may not be the most colorful, or the biggest, but this hybrid produces a multitude of pitchers on a plant that grows with ease. The pitchers also develop some of the best flared peristome and are very long lasting. The plant also produces multiple side branching and grows in a wide variety of adverse growing conditions.
The uppers are very interesting as well. They do have the definite infundibular form and the combined features of veitchii blends easily between the two.


This hybrid can be easily paired with other species such as N. lowii, spectabilis and others to bring out more color, but at the same time keep the growth integrity already dominant here.

I believe this cross has been remade in a reverse combination.

M

[rainforest]

N. rafflesiana dark x sibuyanensis Mansell
This has got to be one of the most sought after hybrid. Why shouldn't it be? It comprises all the best qualities of a perfect tubby rafflesiana-appearing pitcher with the size of a giant. A nice feature is that the tendrils are not especially long and the leaves seem to be proportionate with the rest of the plant in perspective.

Whether it is front or side, this hybrid is a grand one!


This plant seems to break into the vining stage early producing beautiful uppers with wide open mouths like calico goldfish. I can see this plant being available as rare as a Dyeriana and perhaps more sought-after.

The plant easily produces many ground or basal shoots from which emerge the dark kettles. This plant takes on the rafflesiana parent in growing best in bright light conditions. The plant sometimes take on a purplish hue to their leaves and the bright light keeps their leathery leaves in good proportion.

M

[rainforest]

N. rafflesiana v. elongata x rowanae Mansell is a beautiful cross exhibiting coloration beyond either parent used.

There are some variations seen in this cross but definitely the strong features of N. rafflesiana shows through. This plant grows much like a rowanae for me and with the combined inheritance from both parents for ease of growth, this hybrid just grows and grows. The plant while still small produces some of the largest pitcher to leaf ratios seen in any hybrid thus far.
This will be one to watch for in future breeding efforts.
Imagine crossing this with spectabilis, veitchii, bicalcarata, sibuyanensis, maxima, merrilliana, or anything else at that. A very potential breeding ingredient for the future.

M

[rainforest]

N. truncata x alata striped Mansell

This hybrid combines rather standard sounding species, yet their fusion produces some of the most outstanding plants seen with hybrid vigor and the best of everything. This hybrid has beautiful huge pitchers reminiscent of N. alata, but huge, like a truncata. The plant itself is a compact rosette with short internodes, but the pitchers are some of the largest with a huge pitcher to leaf ratio ever seen in any plant. Note the leaves at the top from where these monsters are coming off of. Leaves measure between six and eight inches average.
This will make for a fine parent to be used to cross with other species expanding its color range or shape.

M