CARNIVOROUS PLANT
NEWSLETTER

VOLUME 22, NUMBER 3

CARNIVOROUS
PLANT

NEWSLETTER

Official Journal of the
international Carnivorou
Plant Society

Volume 22, Numbers 3
September 1993

Front cover: Nepenthes eymai, upper pitcher. Plant grown by Peter D'Amaio at
California Carnivores, photo by Burt Venaas. The preferred name for
this plant is N. infundibuliformis after Turnbull and Middleton. See
CRN 22, No. 1 & 2 page 21.

Rear Cover: Drosera felix. This plant from Auyantepui, Venezuela is about 1.5 to
2.0 cm across and has an interesting 1 cm flower that is on so short
a peduncle that it appears often to be setting right down on the
rosette. Photo by Don Schnell

The co-editors of CPN would like everyone to pay particular attention to the
following policies regarding your dues to the ICPS.

All Correspondence regarding dues, address changes and missing issues should be
sent to ICPS c/o Fullerton Arboretum, CSUF, Fullerton, CA 92634. DO NOT SEND TO
THE CO-EDITORS. Checks for subscription and reprints should be made payable to
ICPS.

All material for publication, comments and general correspondence about your
plants, field trips or special noteworthy events relating to CP should be directed to one of
the co-editors. We are interested in all news related to carnivorous plants and rely on the
membership to supply us with this information so that we can share it with others.

Views expressed in this publication are those of the authors, not necessarily the
editorial staff.

CO-EDITORS

D.E. Schnell, Rt. 1, Box 145C, Pulaski, VA 24301
J.A. Mazrimas, 329 Helen Way, Livermore, CA 94550
Steve Baker, Rt. 1, Box 540-19AB, Conover, NC 28613
Seed Bank: Tom Johnson, P.O. Box 12281, Glendale, CA 91224-0981.
ACTING BUSINESS MANAGER AND MANAGING EDITOR: Leo C. Song, Jr.
(Internet Address: LEOSONG@FULLERTON.EDU)

PUBLISHER: The International Carnivorous Plant Society by the Fullerton Arboretum,
California State University, Fullerton, CA 92634. Published quarterly with one volume
annually. Desktop Publishing: Steve Baker, Rt. 1, Box 54Q-19AB, Conover, NC
28613. Printer: Kandid Litho, 1077 East Edna Place; Covina, CA 91724. Dues: $15.00
annually. $20.00 foreign. Reprints available by volume only © 1993 Carnivorous Plant
Newsletter. All rights reserved. ISSN #0190-9215. Circulation 564 (152 new, 451
renewal).

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Carnivorous Plant Newsletter

Seedbank

Tom Johnson, P.O. Box 12281, Glendale, CA 91224-0981

Recently, I joined Gordon Snelling in operating the ICPS Seedbank. F or those not
familiar with the seedbank, seed contributed by ICPS members is repackaged an sold
at nominal cost to other members. The income from the seedbank helps to defray the
costs of publishing the CPN. Additionally, the seedbank provides plant material at low
cost which enables members to increase their collections with minimal impact on an
already stressed environment.

Updates: The inventory of the seedbank is listed in periodic updates available
from Gordon Shelling at 300 W. Carter, Glendora, CA 91740. Please provide a self -
addressed - stamped envelope (SASE) or 2 international reply coupons (IRC) if outside
the United States.

Ordering: Place orders based on the current update. All orders are to be sent to
Tom Johnson, P.O. Box 12281, Glendale, CA 91224-0981. Please provide an SASE or
IRC. The price per seed packet is $1.00. Payment should be included as cash, check ,or
money order made payable to ICPS Seedbank, C/O Tom Johnson. When ordering ,
please list substitutes, especially if the update indicates less than 15 seed packets
(species followed by number in ()) or an old update. Orders will be filled as soon as
possible. A new update will be included with your order. Please ensure that your name
and address are clearly written on all correspondence.

Contributions: All seed in the seedbank comes from contributions. As an
inducement, every 10 packets of seed earn the contributor one packet of seed at no
charge. After receipt of donated seed, it is repackaged for distribution. All new seed
packets are labeled with the species, location (if known), and month and year received
(collected if known). All contributions will be acknowledged by postcard. The number
of packets contributed and the number of free packets earned will be furnished.

Maintenance: Since we have no control over the seed contributed. It is impossible
to guarantee viability. Steps, however, are taken to determine and maintain viable
seed in the seedbank. For instance , seeds are occasionally planted to determine if they
are viable. Seeds are kept refrigerated to help maintain viability. Also, old seed is
regularly purged from the seedbank.

Please use the seedbank - whether you wish to contribute or withdraw. The bank
is short of seed all genera, so if you have extra seed, please donate. Remember, a seed
is a terrible thing to waste!

DISCLAIMER

Several ICPS members and others have financially sponsored CP activities
of Mr. Jeff Gold and feel that they have not received promised recompense for their
investment. Please be advised that Mr. Gold does not have and never has had any
support or guarantee of ICPS, CPN or CSUF. Any agreements or financial
sponsorship of Mr. Gold and his enterprises are private matters between individu¬
als. Any settlement of such problems must be worked out between the complain¬
ant and Mr. Gold without intervention of ICPS/CPN co-editors or CSUF. Jeff can
be reached at 510/474-0800 or FAX 510/474-0900.

Volume 22 September 1993

55

News and Views

Glenn Tolman (Water Lily World, 2331 Goodloe, Houston, TX 77093)

He is an aquatic nurseryman. He grows a lot of CP in floating beds (see figures)
ranging from floating pot rings holding the smaller pots, to large “barges” with barrel
floats at each end. He pots his plants in sphagnum. The smaller pool with the floating
rings (available from commercial water growing supply sources) is kept filled with
ordinary chlorinated city water. The larger pool with the lily pads has an acid soil
bottom, and the water is two feet deep.

Figure 1 - Plants shown here growing in a Figure 2 - Plants shown here growing in

pool in Houston, Texas that has been pond water with acid type soil on bottom

filled and kept up with city clorinated water plants in sphagnum moss, water 2 ft.
Barry Meyers-Rice (Steward Observatory University of Arizona Tucson, AZ 85721)
In CPN 21:1-2 I wrote on forms of U. calycifida. I have since found that forms
‘Spotted flower’ and ‘Purple veins’ self and breed true but crosses between them have
yet to provide viable seed. While one could argue that my failure to obtain seed from
this cross suggests the forms are different species, I do not. I think the lack of success
is due to failure on my part in this delicate procedure, and not because of a genetic
barrier. I will continue trying. I have also obtained from Christoph Belanger a few
other clones of this plant, especially one (‘Mauve flower’) which has foliage the same
as ‘Purple veins’ and similar large flowers. The lower lip of its flowers has a reticulated
pattern in the proximal palate region similar to the spots on ‘Spotted flower.’ I consider
‘Mauve flower’ to be a plant intermediate between ‘Purple veins’ and ‘Spotted flower.’
In this perspective, it argues against a species or even subspecies distinction for those
two U. calycifida forms. Lastly, I have heard of white flowered forms in cultivation.

Don Schnell (Rt. 1, Box 145C, Pulaski, VA 24301)

Pinguicula ionantha has now officially been listed as a threatened species by the

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Carnivorous Plant Newsletter

US Fish and Wildlife Service under provisions of the Endangered Species Act, 1973.
The announcement is in the FEDERAL REGISTER of 12 July 1993 (Vol. 58, No. 131,
pp. 37432f). The listing is made as threatened rather than endangered so that specific
locations would not have to be listed or filed for open inspection. Approximately 20
locations either confirmed by herbarium specimens or reliable field reports are
mentioned by county; however, this writer feels there are more as indicated in his field
notes, even given the criterion of a location being at least three miles from another to
be listed.

The FEDERAL REGISTER article contains the usual rather good write-up.
Several other non-CP species are included in this listing, so one has to skip through the
text to find material on P. ionantha. The article also mentions that two nurseries list
the plant. However, checking the latest E-Mail CP printout for CP commercial sources,
I find one foreign list for seed, one foreign list for plants, and two US lists for plants,
one out of stock. As of now, these can no longer be sold without a federal permit.

The article makes the point, and this writer agrees, that commercial demand
has not been and is not a problem, nor are personal collections, although both could
become so if the plant locations

are further depleted. The biggest problem by far is habitat destruction. The plants
enjoy a wet, open habitat best. But with drainage and mesophytic conversion to pine
plantations, the plants have often been reduced to a few small pockets of wet
remaining, or roadside ditches. When the ditches are further scraped and cleaned to
make them more efficient, nearly whole populations are wiped out, as was the case in
Carabelle, Florida. Rough ditching, as in “the old days”, frequently resulted in a string
habitat of slow moving water, ponds, etc. which supported a rich CP flora on their
banks and in the water itself. Now, more efficient and deeper ditching, and “cleaning”
of the ditches into canals has destroyed this habitat, classically in the Green Swamp
of North Carolina.

This author feels, and the point is alluded to in the FEDERAL REGISTER article,
that the National Forest Service (which must now obey rules against destruction of
habitat) should also be enlisted in a positive fashion to seek out locations on their lands,
protect them with a wide margin, and actually manage the areas to prevent drying and
overgrowth of weeds. The Appalachicola National Forest is at the center of the range
and has several fine locations within its borders.

In either event, ICPS members should behave appropriately in the field regarding
this species and its new listing.

MULTI VITRO
CARNIVOROUS PLANTS

Since 1986, Multi Vitro is multiplying carnivorous plants through tissue
culture. We have about 20 species ready for sale. Please write us for a free
pricelist.

We sell wholesale as well as single plants. Species: Dionaea,, Sarracenia
alata, leucophylla, purpurea, flava, flava X leuco, Heliamphora nutans,
Pinguicula agnata, moranensis, esseriana, gypsicola, X weser; Drosera binata,
capensis, hilaris, indica alicea, Cephalotus.

MULTI VITRO; Zandse voetpad 9; 6851 DR Huissen; Holland.

Volume 22 September 1993

57

Noteworthy Sarracenia Collections

by

Phil Sheridan and Bill Scholl
Rt. 2 Box 2120, Woodford, Va. 22580
1 1420 Winterpock Rd., Chesterfield, Va. 23832

Over the past several years a number of unreported Sarracenia forms and hybrids
have been discovered in the wild. For security reasons, locality data is vague but
serious students are invited to contact the authors for more information. Below follows
a list of these interesting discoveries. S. rubra Walter ssp. sulfensis Schnell (antho-
eyanin free form)

A single clump was discovered by Jim Bockowski in 1987 in a shrub bog bordering
a major river system in Santa Rosa County, Florida . The leaves, flowers and growth
point of this plant are completely green and free of anthocyanin. Phyllodia are
produced. Of further note is the presence of abundant areoles on the upper part of the
pitcher. John Hummer (1992) reports the areoles are occasionally seen but not a
prominent feature of the sub-species. The presence of phyllodia indicate probable
introgression with S. leucophvlla Raf. It is interesting to note the evolution of an
anthocyanin free form that is a likely introgressed hybrid. Whether these areoles come
from introgression with S. leucophvlla or S. psittacina Michx. (which also grow in the
bog) or are an inherent characteristic of the form have not been determined at this
time. The areoles are not the very prominent white spots that one sees in S.
leucophvlla. S. psittacina or S. minor.

S. psittacina Michx. x S. purpurea L. (S. x courtii)

Discovered along a road embankment in Liberty County, Florida by Bill Scholl on
6/13/89. This is the first report from the wild of this hybrid. Ten clumps were found.
Additional interbreeding between this hybrid swarm and S. purpurea was also
suspected based on apparent F2 progeny.

Hybrid determination was made on intermediate characteristics of the leaves
between parent species, flower color and shape and the occurrence of only the two
potential parents in the vicinity that could result in this unusual Sarracenia hybrid.

S. flaua L. x S. psittacina Michx.

Discovered in an open seepage bog by John Hummer on 6/12/88 in Liberty County,
Florida. Additional specimens of this hybrid were discovered by Mr. Hummer in the
same bog in 6/89 and 6/90. The color of the hybrids varies from green with little veining
to heavily red veined. This hybrid was unknown to occur in the wild (Bell, 1952) but
has been produced in cultivation.

S. psittacina Michx. (anthocyanin free form)

We first learned that such a plant even existed when we visited Fred Case in
August 1985. Fred had plants which were discovered and collected by Tom Gibson in
Florida. After seeing these plants we kept an eye out for this form and were promptly
rewarded with its discovery in the field in Baldwin County, Alabama on 11/3/85.
Additional discoveries were made by John Hummer and us in roadside ditches in Gulf

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Carnivorous Plant Newsletter

Figure 1. S. flava x S. psittacina. Wild
material under cultivation. Green color
predominates even in full sun. Photo by
Phil Sheridan.

Figure 3. Growth point of anthocyanin
free form of S. psittacina. Note complete
lack of anthocyanin. Photo by Phil
Sheridan.

Figure 2. Flower of anthocyanin free form
of S. psittacina. Photo by Phil Sheridan.

Figure 4. Robust colony of S. rubra (possibly
ancestral S. rubra ssp. gulfensis) growing
in hillside seepage bog of Marion County,
Georgia 11/2/91. Photo by Phil Sheridan.

Volume 22 September 1993

59

County, Florida on 5/11/87.

Flowers, leaves and growth point of this form are pure green and no anthocyanin
is present. Best looked for along road sides during flowering season due to the obvious
yellow flower.

S. psittacina Michx. (yellow flower, anythocyanin in leaves)

Fact is sometimes stranger than fiction and this is the case here. Plants of red
veined S. psittacina with yellow flowers were collected on 5/12/87 at a seepage bog in
Bay County by Phil Sheridan. Apparently a genetic change has occurred which is
suppressing the production of red pigment in the flowers of this form. Schnell (1978)
showed that S. psittacina does have yellow compounds in the petals which are
normally not visible in this red flowering species. Apparently red pigment production
is suppressed in the petals of this form. No plants of S. psittacina (anthocyanin free
form) were found at this site so it is suspected that this is a mutant and not the result
of hybridization with an anthocyanin free form. The only yellow flowered species at
this site was S. flava and no hybrids were found between it and S. psittacina.

Comments

We have heard comments from people that the anthocyanin free forms of
Sarracenia are less vigorous than their anthocyanin producing counterparts. In the
case of S. psittacina this appears to be the case. S. rubra ssp. sulfensis (anthocyanin
free form), however, has proved to be extremely vigorous. This tends then to challenge
the statement that all anthocyanin free forms are going to be slow growing and disease
prone. There is definitely a need to explore whether the presence or absence of
anthocyanin is a factor in the survival of members of the genus Sarracenia.

We have also found that in crossing S. rubra ssp. ionesii (red form, Greenville Co.,
S.C.) with S. rubra ssp. ionesii (anthocyanin free, Transylvania Co., N.C.) a certain
percentage of the offspring from the red form parent will be anthocyanin free and the
remainder of the seedlings will contain anthocyanin. Previous experiments have
shown that covered and selfed material of S. rubra ssp. ionesii used in these
experiments will produce 100% anthocyanin containing seedlings. In addition the
material of S. rubra ssp. jonesii containing anthocyanin is all vegetatively propagated
from one rhizome division originally received from Fred Case. This indicates to us that
the anthocyanin free form may somehow become more dominant when it is the pollen
donor to a anthocyanin producing parent. It also is possible that several genes are
involved in the production or suppression of anthocyanin. We will continue our
research on this subject and invite others to duplicate our work and report their
results.

Recently, Ron Determan of the Atlanta Botanical Garden, as part of a recovery
program for Sarracenia in Georgia, has succeeded in raising an anthocyanin free form
of S. rubra from wild seed. Despite our extensive field research we have not once
encountered an anthocyanin free form of S. rubra in the inner coastal plain of Georgia
where Ron got his seed material. Of even greater interest to students of the genus
Sarracenia is that this plant, even at only three inches tall, possesses abundant
areoles! These S. rubra from the sand hills of Georgia occur in an area where there are
no other Sarracenia to hybridize with. It is truly remarkable to learn that once again
a normally non areolate species of Sarracenia has been found to produce windows.

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Carnivorous Plant Newsletter

Schnell (1977) mentioned that areoles in S. rubra ssp. ionesii may be masked by
prominent external venation and this discovery appears to support this thesis for the
S. rubra complex in general. It is also possible that the genetic change which occurs to
suppress anthocyanin production may also be attached to the capacity to produce
areoles (witness S. rubra ssp. sulfensis anthocyanin free form).

We plan another paper to formally describe these new forms and hybrids and
invite suggestions or criticisms from the reader prior to formal publication and
naming.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to John Hummer and Don Schnell for review of manuscript and com¬
ments. Especially to John for his company in the field and good fortune at making
discoveries.

References

Bell. C.R. 1949. A cytotaxonomic study of the Sarraceniaceae of North America.
Journal of the Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society 65: 137-66.

Bell, C.R. 1952. Natural hybrids in the genus Sarracenia. Journ. Elisha Mitch. 68:55-
80.

Bell, C.R., and Case, F.W. 1956. Natural hybrids in the genus Sarracenia. II: current
notes on distribution. Journal of the Mitchell Society. 72:142-52.

Hummer, John. 6/6/92. Pers. comm.

Russell, A.M. 1919. The macroscopic and microscopic structure of some hybrid
Sarracenias compared with that of their parents. Cont. Bot. Lab. Univ. Pa. 5:3-41.

Schnell, Don. 1977. Infraspecific variation in Sarracenia rubra Walt: Some observa¬
tions. Castanea 42:149-170.

Schnell, Don. 1978. Sarracenia L. Petal Extract Chromatography. Castanea. 43:107-
115.

Schnell, Don. 1979. Sarracenia rubra Walter ssp. gulfensis A New Subspecies.
Castanea 44:217-223.

Sheridan, Phil. 1991. What is the Identity of the West Gulf Coast Pitcher Plant,
Sarracenia alata Wood? Carnivorous Plant Newsletter. Vol. 20, 12/91.

GROWING CARNIVOROUS PLANTS IN THE
CZECH REPUBLIC

Zdenek Zacek
Ustavni 139
181 00 Praha 8
Bohnice, Czech Republic

Volume 22 September 1993

61

I live in Prague, the capitol of the Czech Republic. I have been growing
carnivorous plants for several years in a glass case in my study, in several aquariums
outside on our roofed veranda and in a small enclosure in our garden. At the present
time, my collection consists of about 60 species.

I would like to gradually introduce you to my plants in an irregular series of
occasional articles in CPN. Because I also draw a little, each of the plants I discuss will
be illustrated in color renditions. Please do not try and find an rhyme or system in this
series. The illustrated species will be presented by chance as they catch my eye during
the seasons and I am inspired by refershing viewpoints of their characters and beauty
as I draw them. If you enjoy what I impart, then it will not be in vain. In the
introduction, I would like to thank my friend Don Schnell for his support, help and
mental stimulation.

Pineuicula moranensis (Figure 1). This season, I saw the first sign offloweringon
March 20th, 1993. 1 have seven mature plants. The first flower fully opened on April
5th and persisted until May 17th when its corolla withered, but the calyx and flower
stalk always persist for a much longer period of time. Five of the seven plants flowered,
some of them with two or three simultaneous flowers. The last flowers faded on June
12th.

In the picture you can see one flower in profile with its long spur, which has given
another Mexican species its Latin epithet “caudate” for tailed. The plant in the center
of the picture is not only flowering in preparation for sexual reproduction, but also
demonstrating its ability to reproduce itself vegetatively by the budding of leafy
rosettes, one of which is also flowering.

Utricularia livida (Figure 2). I received a small cluster of this trerrestrial species
in the spring of 1992 . At that time, it had only two flowering peduncles. All last season

Fig. 1 Pinauicula moranensis Fig. 2 Utricularia livida

62

Carnivorous Plant Newsletter

as it grew used to me, no other flowers appeared. Only in the spring of 1993 at the end
of April did the plant start to flower massively, and has continued to do so through
June.

The flowers persist for quite awhile. Multiple buds on the peduncle ( flower stalk)
open from bottom to top in sequence. After the lowermost bud opens, the next up begins
to mature. Then, the short pedicel or stalk of the flower attaching it to the peduncle,
starts to lengthen as does the peduncle space between flowers so that there is a 2 to 2.5
cm space between opening flowers.

The flowers are cream white with a delicate violet tinge on the tip of the upper lip,
and the spur often touches the lower lip. The flowers in profile remind me of smiling
dog heads for some reason. Fantasy has no boundaries!

Drosera capensis (Figure 3). This is a now common but very beautiful sundew. In
May of 1992 I bought D. filiformis v. filiformis. and D. capensis popped up as a
volunteer at the bases of the plants where it was growing as a weed. I repotted it into
a separate pot and since then it has grown to maturity. At the beginning of May, 1993
D. capensis produced mighty, robust flower stalks and has been flowering through
most of the summer with more than 30 flowers per stalk. The flowers open from the
bottom up, one per day, rarely two per day on a stalk. The flowers open in the morning
and then close for good in the afternoon.

Drosera adelae. a giant form (Figures 4, 5). This beautiful sundew comes from the
northeastern tropical rain forests of Australia and is quite rare among fellow Czech
growers as far as I know. I have been growing this species in a small aquarium along

Fig. 3 Drosera capensis Fig. 4 D. adelae "Giant". The inflorescens

and one flower in detail.

Volume 22 September 1993

63

Fig. 5 Drosera adelae. "giant" (in the center of the picture). D. schizandra. (the left part
of the picture, several plants). D. prolifera. (two smaller plants in fore ground).

with a close relative, D. schizandra (in the left of the large picture) and D prolifera (two
small plants in foreground). The tank is covered with a glass to make high humidity
which seems essential for the health of these plants. But the flowering stalk of D.
adelae began growing very fast and soon reached the glass on top. I had to take
immediate measures, placed a large plastic bag over the aquarium like a bulging
bathing cap to make more headroom and keep the humidity high. As in most sundews,
the flowers open in order from bottom bud on up, but unlike most, they stay open as
shown in the drawing of the flower stalk. The inflorescence is coiled nicely and with
each flower opening, the coil unwinds a bit. The flowers seem to have a slight but
pleasent fragrance which reminds me of something I cannot place.

HUNGRY PLANTS

Carnivorous Plant Nursery

HUNGRY PLANTS Carnivorous Plant Nursery and Tissue Culture Lab
would like to announce that we will shut down all retail mail order sales
effective November 1, 1993. We are liquidating our stock of Drosera,
Pinguicula, Sarracenia and others to pursue wholesale goals and will
continue to accept orders from our 1993 catalog until October 31, 1993
only. All catalog orders received after that date will be returned to
sender.

64

Carnivorous Plant Newsletter

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Nepenthes pervillei

Travel report to accompany the new CP-video

by

S. Hartmeyer
Wittlinger Str. 5
7858 Weil am Rhein, Germany

Volume 22 September 1993

65

Tropical surroundings without anti-malaria drugs, with carnivorous plants for
our new video, and possibilities for snorkeling - These were what we asked of our
holiday for 1992. The photo of Nepenthes pervillei in the brochure of ‘Feria’, tour
operators persuaded us to make our main booking for the island of Silhouette, one
of the Seychelles islands which lie between Africa and India. The accompanying
brochure text promised primeval rain-forest with richly varied flora, including many
of the pitcher plants of the illustration, these being accessible by a footpath.

On 31.8.1992 we flew from Frankfurt to the main island of Mahe, and the day
thereafter we transferred to our goal: Silhouette, 17 km away (about 10 miles), in a
relatively small motor-boat with quite a sea running. To some of the passengers this
meant a ‘sacrifice on Neptune’s altar’. I would have liked to film the island as we
approached it, with it’s dense vegetation of coconut palms and takamaka trees along
the dazzling white beach, ascending steeply up to the cloud covered summit at 650
metres plus (about 2000 feet). Instead, sitting on the planking of the deck, I had to
cling onto my photographic equipment, holding myself firmly to the steersman’s seat
as this was firmly screwed down. Irmgard and I thus had a degree of protection from
the spray but after two hours of this roller-coaster progress we were more or less wet
through.

But with solid ground under our feet again, that long awaited holiday feeling
took over. Our bungalow, simple but adequately equipped, lay a mere 5 meters (ca
50 feet) from the shore, it’s whiteness broken every hundred meters or so by black
granite rocks. Beyond that lay the Indian Ocean, at a temperature of 26°C (nearly
80’F). At low tide it was peaceful and showed all varieties of blue and turquoise; but
at high water it made a vigorous onslaught, noisily seeking to undermine the roots
of the takamaka trees in front of our temporary home. Such aggressiveness was
otherwise only shared by the mosquitoes. Our attempts with insect-repellant
achieved little more than that some of the pests died laughing! We soon learnt to
keep away after dusk from the magnificent jungle starting a mere 300 meters (about
1000 feet) behind the hotel grounds, after Irmgard had suffered 25 stings in a mere
10 minutes. Yet during the daytime we remained in the rain-forest virtually trouble-
free. On the Seychelles there are neither dangerous predators nor poisonous snakes;

CPN Ad Rates
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66

Carnivorous Plant Newsletter

nevertheless one must still be constantly wary as we found on our first attempt to
reach nepenthes.

At the reception desk in the ‘Silhouette Island Lodge’, the only hotel on the
island, we were given in apparent innocence information that the pitcher plants grow
on the peak and the path to them branches off at the church. So on the second day
after our arrival, we set off, armed with video equipment, tripod, monopod and a
plentiful supply of mineral water. The path began to climb steeply immediately
behind the little village. After a few hundred meters the roar of the surf was
superseded by the rustling and cracking of the trees in the warm wind at a
temperature of 27°C (80°F), interrupted only by the piping and clicking of sundry
birds which looked curiously down on the puffing and sweating intruders. Along the
edge of the path numbers of brown lizards rooted and rustled in the superficially dry
leaf-litter which was broken ever and again by the typical black granite rocks. With
increasing altitude and atmospheric humidity these outcrops were covered with
algae, mosses and lichens. These growths were being grazed by brown slugs some 20
cm (8 inches) long, precisely at those spots where we wanted to support ourselves and
hold on. Another magnificent sight was the giant millipedes, over 30 cm ( 12 inches)
long, which also inhabited these rock formations that sometimes reminded one of
prehistoric monsters. More and more this mountain appeared to consist of willfully
scattered, rounded, granite blocks, in all sizes. Between these were gulleys and clefts
filled with luxurious plantlife. It smelt of moss and damp leaves and numberless
exotic fruits, all pleasantly aromatic to our senses.

When we had been under way for some two hours we had the impression that we
must have missed the peak we were seeking. Two small paths had indeed already
branched off, but since they were blocked by fallen trees we ignored them. No
mention had been made of them when the route was described to us. And then, as
I walked into the web of a gigantic spider which I had failed to push aside as
previously with monopod, and suddenly found myself staring at close quarters into
all the eyes of the proprietor, we turned back. After all, we still had 9 days, time
enough to search for carnivorous plants. The return trip had the advantage that
there was no need this time to push aside the meter (yard ) wide webs of these spiders
which in themselves were about 20 cm (8 inches) long! Their bite is certainly painful
but is not considered dangerous. Luckily too the creatures are not aggressive and
prefer to avoid contact.

Before our next attempt we again asked at the hotel as to the proper route. This
time the information was much more detailed and there was even a map of the island.
We learnt too that the path to the summit - a mere tourist footpath according to the
‘Feria’ brochure - was barricaded by a fallen tree ( in fact there were several trees)
because it was quite dangerous and for several days after rain it became impassable.
As proof that he had himself once visited these pitcher plants the hotel employee
showed us several photos. These quite astonished me because they showed two forms
of pitcher, differing in both shape and colour. On the one hand there was the typical
green amphora-like Nepenthes pervillei, while in the other pictures I would rather
have assumed N. alata, with the pitchers considerably more slender in the upper
part. But known up to now in the Seychelles there was only the endemic N. pervillei.
Was this latter just considerably more variable than hitherto assumed ? Or is there
indeed a second species on Silhouette ? I dismissed any idea that the hotel employee
was attempting to sensationalize the matter since his knowledge of CP was limited
to the concept of pitcher plants and the popular French name - Liane pot a eau - about

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which he was always being questioned by tourists. Unlike on the main island of
Mahe, where the primeval rain-forest has long been chopped down, to be replaced
with crops of various kinds, these forests on Silhouette are still virtually untouched.
So why not two species ?

Two days later we set off again immediately after breakfast, scrambling over,
several tree-trunks placed across the way, this time following the correct path which,
however, proved even trickier than the one we had taken before. Over 400 meters (ca
1250 feet) the granite rocks, the main feature of the path thereabouts - became
increasingly slippery while the previously mentioned creepycrawlies appeared in
even greater numbers. Apart from ourselves there was far and wide not another
human being, but we often saw flying foxes with a wingspan of over a meter (yard),
groups of which resembled Dracula’s hordes! In fact they are harmless and quite droll
creatures which only eat fruit and which are rated a delicacy by the natives. Here
there was a wide assortment of palms, with and without thorns, trees with buttress
roots, wild pineapple, orchids, ferns, even a few coco-de-mer palms which officially
do not exist on Silhouette and which have nuts weighing over 20 kg (45 lbs), being
thus the world’s largest seeds. But nowhere did we find the least trace of pitcher
plants. When we were still an estimated 40 meters (ca 150 feet) below the summit
the so-called ‘tourist path’ degenerated into a natural run-off for rainwater, it’s bed
consisting of moss-covered rocks and boulders, all at a very steep gradient. Any slip
here would have meant at very least the end of the video-gear. For over 5 hours we
had been climbing rather than walking, and time was against us as it was absolutely
vital we should be clear of the forest before dusk. The decision to turn back caused
almost physical pain since I so much wanted material for our new video, and it had
cost Irmgard enormous effort to scramble thus far, with the slipperiness of the track
and the dozens of enormous spider-webs. So I spoke a furious commentary into the
camera (part of which I cut when editing, so that the film should still be fit to show
to children!); then I regained my composure because this truly untamed jungle still
made the expedition worth while.

Any further attempt to reach the summit came to naught: In the first place the
boy who had promised to be our guide cried off at 10 o’clock on the previous evening
since he could not leave the hotel; and in the second place the rain started to fall.

So I have to leave to some more fortunate successor the riddle of a possible second
Nepenthes species on Silhouette. We ourselves still had two aces up our sleeve, even
if only on the main island of Mahe. For safety sake, on our arrival there I had
arranged a day’s tour through the local travel office where we would have the services
of an accredited mountain guide, Basil Beaudouin. If even that failed, Allan Lowrie
in Australia, when he heard of our plans, had kindly sent me a handdrawn map of
nepenthes habitats on the main island.

This time, to avoid seasickness, we chartered a helicopter back to Mahe. This
took a mere quarter-hour for the 17 km and gave us some interesting views for the
video. Having arrived at the hotel we immediately telephoned Basil Beaudouin who
came round that same day to discuss plans. He was a tall, friendly, black Seychelles,
some 30 years old, with outstanding knowledge of the island. He had even chosen the
pitcher plant as his guide’s logo; he had been interested in his island’s flora since
childhood and knew almost every plant personally. He promised to lead us to THE
finest place.

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We drove by car to about 400 meters altitude (1250 feet) and then proceeded on
foot over small paths, past a pine wood and various palms and cinnamon trees whose
young shoots of brilliant red were very conspicuous. From about 600 meters (1850
feet) we had a magnificent view over Mahe with cloud-covered Silhouette on the
horizon. The ground consisted of the now-familiar black rocks as well as a mix of
laterite and coarse granite sand. Although even here we sometimes had to advance
by climbing rather than walking, the ascent was appreciably simpler than during our
efforts on the smaller island. And suddenly it was as if we had crossed an invisible
line of demarcation.

‘They’ grew along the path, on bushes 1 - 2 meters high, they even used their
tendrils to clamber up the few scattered trees in the vicinity. Green amphora-like
pitchers, mostly arranged in rosettes, rearing without support into the air. These
rosettes were then succeded by meter-long stems, as in N. ampullaria. Although it
had now started to rain heavily, Basil pointed upwards and, wreathed in smiles,
assured us that further on it would be much better still. With a few additional meters
of altitude the downpour became just a fine drizzle and our guide pointed to a bank,
and we could see he had not exaggerated. N. pervillei was by far the dominant plant.
The rocks were clothed in an enormous network of carnivorous plants which extended
over bushes and trees. Amidst this nepenthes-carpet we sat down under three large
palm-leaves brought to us by Basil, and in high good humour we ate our lunch-
packets. Scarcely had we finished eating than the equatorial sun broke through,
transforming the scene into a steaming vista with shafts of light between the
nepenthes urns. I grabbed the camera and filmed everything I could in order to have
some sequences in the can before the next downpour. In so doing I realized that all
the pitchers looked so healthy. And then I noticed a peculiarity of these fascinating
plants as soon as a pitcher, which is attached to the leaf by a short stalk and stands
surprisingly upright (other species would surely tip over!), begins to shrivel it turns
over so that it’s content fall to the ground to the benefit of all other plants. Once leaf
and pitcher have dried up and taken on a dark brown to almost black colour, the
whole section lays itself against the stem, after the manner of palm-trees. In this way
it is always the young fresh pitchers and inflorescences of nepenthes that project into
the air, and this conspicuously adds to the attraction. We found astonishingly few
plants in bloom. Mature seed-heads were a genuine rarity when compared with the
multitude of bushes with urns. However, we did manage to find a few of the dark
brown ripe capsules, these being open above, giving them almost the appearance of
small jugs. The seeds themselves are jet-black, some 2 mm (one-twelfth of an inch)
long, with a thin projection at one end; this, all in all, is very unusual in nepenthes.

Moreover the pitcher colour reverses the usual trend. Upper specimens in full
sun are light to yellowish green; but on the ground among the shrubs and in part
leafcovered, they are intensely dark to brownish red, so that with their swollen shape
and large lid, they almost have the appearance of small Nepenthes rajah. Interest¬
ingly enough, the insides of the lids of pitchers on the rocks were deep red, yet
hanging in the air and with a light background they were light to yellowish green,
like the rest of the urns, some of which also had red flecking.

Suddenly it darkened again, presaging the next shower. At the last moment I
managed to stow the camera away, but I was not quick enough in getting under my
sheltering palm-leave with the result that, in mere seconds, my nearly-dry clothing
was again dripping wet. N. pervillei, with its large and almost circular lid, is
peculiarly well adapted to these cloudbursts since very little rain gets into the pitcher

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69

to wash out the nutrients or even cause it to tip over. Only rarely were the pitchers
filled to more than a third of the lower swollen portion.

After 4-5 hours, with rain and sun alternating at 20-minute intervals, we
commenced the descent, still keeping a look-out for alata-shaped urns. Then at last,
when we had almost reached the lower limit of the nepenthes, Irmgard slipped at
just the right place, inflicting some scratches on her leg, but bringing in front of my
camera-lens an unfamiliar shape. The brown colour was in itself unusual, the lower
swollen section was neither spherical nor barrel-shaped, and it was succeeded by a
narrow ‘neck’, from which an oval peristome led obliquely up to the lid. The nearly
circular widening of this horny margin of the trap, which gives N. pervillei it’s typical
amphora-like appearance, was completely lacking; thus giving a resemblance to the
alata-type. However the round lid showed that at most this was a hybrid with some
earlier species formerly living in the now-demolished primeval forest lower down the
slope and N. pervillei growing on the summit. In addition to the shape and colour, the
tendril between leaf and trap was appreciably longer than in the other carnivorous
plants alongside. It remains an interesting question for some nepenthes specialists
to investigate as to whether some second species did in fact exist there or perhaps
even still persists on Silhouette (or if that all is only a variation of the well known
N. pervillei ). If anyone wishes to investigate the matter, we strongly recommend he
gets in touch with:

Basil Beaudouin - Macabee - Mahe - Seychelles.

He is always delighted to make contact with carnivorous-plant enthusiasts, and
his charges are both reasonable and affordable. It remains true that the Seychelles
represent an expensive long-haul, but if anyone is after all able to fly there and to
find out anything new about the pitcher plants (or ‘Liane pot a eau’) there, I would
greatly appreciate hearing about it. Irmgard and I have the warmest recollections
of Basil and his dream-islands with their nepenthes-peaks.

A summary of our CP-searches, with pictures of the debatable second species,
can be seen on our new video (approx. 1 hour) entitled ‘Insectivorous Plants Video
1993’ (German language), which will be available at the end of February 1993.
Further, there will be a treatment of Australian tuberous Drosera (In German =
Onion-Drosera) which do not have onions. Roridula bugs are examined also in close-
up and there is some account of the CP-year 1992 (AGM, Swiss meeting at Aarburg
etc.) and a CP-quiz with real prizes. For the time being I hope I have succeeded in
conveying to those unable to fly to the Seychelles some impression of the fascination
of this tropical paradise.

Notes on Some Darlingtonia californica Torr.

Bogs

by

Phil Sheridan and Bill Scholl
Rl. 2 Box 2120, Woodford, Va. 22580
11420 Winterpock Rd., Chesterfield, Va. 23832

Introduction

In 1988 we made a trip to northern California and Oregon to observe Darlingtonia

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bogs which the senior author had visited in 1982. New stations for Darlinstonia were
also sought for in the Siskiyou National Forest. The Siskiyou is considered a botanists’
paradise since it forms a bridge between the Cascade and Coast Range Mountains. As
a result plants mingle here which are found in areas north, south, east and west with
more than 1400 species being accounted for. Thus the Siskiyou was considered by us
to be a valuable research area to examine the habitat of the Cobra Lily.

Darlinstonia californica is called the Cobra Lily because of its similarity to a snake
about to strike. The upright position of the leaf, head like appearance of the globose
blade and the downward pointing appendages which look like fangs all conspire to
evoke this image. Quite an elaborate construction but very useful for this effective
insectivorous plant.

Discussion

August was selected as the month for our expedition due to the heat and humidity
which we wanted to escape on the east coast. Previous experience had shown that the
northwestern U.S. coast was both cool and comfortable during August. July - August
is the warmest time of year in this part of Oregon with average temperatures of 14 -
18° C. The coldest month is January with temperature averages from 4 - 8° C. Average
annual temperature ranges from 6 - 12° C. An example of the comfortable sleeping
conditions we enjoyed was a temperature of 9° C on 8/23/88 when we camped at an
elevation of 840 meters in Indian Creek County, Oregon.

The significance of these cool temperatures should not be lost on potential growers
of Darlinstonia. We have found it virtually impossible to grow Darlinstonia for any
length of time in Virginia under outdoor cultivation. We believe this horticultural
dilemma is caused by some essential differences in climate between the northwest U.S.
mountain Darlinstonia bogs and the southeast U.S. coastal plain. We have not
collected environmental data on the coastal Darlinstonia bogs although one site we
visited appeared to have summer root temperatures similar to bogs we examined
elsewhere in the species range. Mountain Darlinstonia bogs are located in regions of
low relative humidity and are fed by cool spring waters. Low relative humidity allows
evaporational cooling from the bogs and enhances local cool growing conditions. In
addition, our observations showed a lower average temperature than the southeast
U.S. For example, average July wet-bulb temperatures are less than 15° C in the
northwest compared to 21-24° C in the southeast.

Southern U.S. summers tend to be hot and humid for protracted periods. This
extended heat and humidity is apparently detrimental to outdoor cultivation of
Darlinstonia californica in this region of the country. We have planted Darlinstonia
in sphagnum bogs where the water temperature does not exceed 21°C and had 100%
mortality. Schnell (1976) states a maximum soil temperature of 20° C and Brownfield
(1985) recommends not exceeding 17° C. Our transplants tend to confirm that the 20°
C temperature must be the absolute high end of tolerance for this species. Where
possible we would advise lower temperatures.

Perhaps the plants become susceptible to bacterial and fungal attack due to heat
stress. Another idea we have is that possibly a beneficial fungal root associate, much
as in orchids, may not survive well in the southeast and thus the Cobra Lily does not
persist in cultivation under higher temperatures. We have seen two cases where
growers in the east have successfully grown Darlinstonia in pots employing

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71

evaporational cooling in shaded greenhouses or air conditioned enclosures. It would
appear though that for whatever reasons cool root temperatures are an important key
to successfully raising Darlinstonia in cultivation.

Geology and Climate

With the exception of the Gasquet bog, our investigations were focused on the
Siskiyou National Forest located in southwestern Oregon. This area is in the Warm
Temperate Subalpine Region with a natural vegetation of Western Hemlock and
Mixed Needleleaf-Broadleaf Forest. Continental temperature extremes are moder¬
ated by the cool Pacific Ocean and the decrease in temperature with elevation is 1° C
for every 275 meters. In contrast the world average is 1° C for every 150 meters.

The soils of this area ( the Klamath Mountains ) are classified as Inceptisols and
Alfisols. They are largely light colored, medium to slightly acid, loamy, stony and
shallow. Areas of granite are characterized by sandy soils and serpentine areas are
mostly shallow, reddish, clayey soils. The Kalmiopsis area

(within Siskiyou National Forest ) is underlain by peridotite and serpentine. These
may be remnants of sub-crustal rock brought up from great depths by plate movement.

Observations

Below is a chart listing the temperature and pH data we collected at midday at
the various sites on our trip.

Environmental Data from Darlinstonia californica habitats

As you can see the plants were largely growing with root temperatures averaging
14°, air temperature 22°, water temperature 13° C and pH slightly above neutral.

Some comments from our notes on these sites are as follows:

Site 1

Gasquet Bog.

A rocky spring fed mountain creek with organic vegetated borders. Large clumps
of Darlinstonia californica to 81 cm. tall growing along with shrubs on border of creek
and in sunny openings. Pinsuicula vulsaris and Drosera rotundifolia noted with
Tofieldia slutinosa in full flower. Seeds of Darlinstonia ripe in capsule on 8/21/88.
Insect predation of ovary noted.

Site 2

Hunter Creek Bog.

Located at 853 meters approximately five miles east of Cape Sebastian Park and
the Pacific Ocean and 1 mile before entering the Siskiyou National Forest. A round,
flat peat bog with a forested perimeter grading to an open center. A slow moving,
shallow, crystal clear, meandering stream through site. Drosera rotundifolia local on
dead logs. Large numbers of Darlinstonia californica and numerous seedlings. Robust
root growth of young plants on borders of pools and stoloniferous invasion of open
aquatic habitat. Hummocks, rocky streams and open bog center principal growth
areas. Some clumps of Darlinstonia measured 3 meters across and 94 cm. tall. Yellow

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Carnivorous Plant Newsletter

jackets observed being primary victims of Darlinstonia and sweet fragrance from
pitchers easily noted in site.

Site 3

Flycatcher Springs.

Several sites in close proximity in rocky, spring fed drainages. Large numbers of
Darlinstonia.

Site 4

Snow Camp Meadow.

The best site observed. This is a large naturally open mountain meadow possibly
formed by mass wasting ( the collapse of the supporting rocks and side of the mountain)
of part of Snow Camp Mountain resulting in a broad mountain terrace. The site grades
from dry meadow to wet, sopping bog. Bog characterized by slow moving clear, cool
streams with open pools in center of site. A few red salamanders observed in pools.
Pools noteworthy for formation of peat masses which looked like rocks. Numerous
additional seepages throughout site. Nuphar polvsepalum growing in open pools with
Rudbekia californica. Parnasiapalustris and Tofieldia slutinosa in full flower through¬
out open springy meadow. Shaded woodland Darlinstonia measured to 61 cm. while
full sun plants averaged only 20 cm..

Site 5

Saddle Mountain.

A moist spot on an otherwise dry hillside/ravine. No moisture outlet found and site
measured only 5 square meters.

Site 6

Huntley Springs.

A very rocky creek with clumps of Darlinstonia growing out of rock crevices and
on mossy, moist rocks.

Conclusion

I would highly recommend the Siskiyou National Forest to people interested in
Darlinstonia in particular and nature in general. We actually found Darlinstonia to
be a fairly predictable plant to find. The primary habitat was rocky spring fed seeps
and wet mountain meadows with soil and water temperatures averaging 14 and 13°
C and air temperature averaging 22° C. Water pH was slightly above neutral.
Evaporational cooling of leaves and cool spring water appeared to be important
strategies for survival although root associates may also be important. Darlinstonia
produces a pleasant scent noticeable in the bogs which was especially attractive to the
yellow jacket wasp.

Recommendations

Our exploration was confined to one small area of the Siskiyou National Forest
and I am sure there are many more interesting bogs to be found. The forest contains
one million acre

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73

Figure 1 - Hunter Creek Bog - notice Figure 2 - Hunter Creek Bog - clump of D.
crystal clear water and abundant D. californica growing on dead log.

californica growth.

Figure 3 - Open pools and clear, slow Figure 4 - D. californica growing on moist
flowing streams of Snow Camp Meadow. side of hill opposite Pyramid Rock.

Note very gentle slope to site and
stoloniferous invasion of pools by D.
californica.

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Carnivorous Plant Newsletter

s and has five designated wilderness areas so there is plenty to see and discover.

There is a primitive campground near Fairview Mountain which contains virgin
Douglas Firs reaching 1.2 meters in diameter. Camping here is quite an experience
and reminds one of the forest primeval. If you desire to see the sites mentioned in this
article I would recommend this as a central campsite from which to explore the area.

Our trip in the Siskiyou National Forest was greatly aided by using a current
forest service map. For additional information on planning a trip to this area contact
the Siskiyou National Forest Headquarters, 200 N.E. Greenfield Road (P.O. Box 440),
Grants Pass, Or. 97526

Special Note: VHS videotapes of the above mentioned sites are available from the
senior author for $20.00 plus postage.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Joe Mazrimas for site information on one of the sites and to Don Schnell
and John Hummer for review and comments.

References

Brownfield, Jennifer. 1985. Rearing Cobras. Carnivorous Plant Newsletter. Vol. 14,
No. 3.

Fairbridge, R.W. 1967. The Encyclopedia of Atmospheric Sciences and Astrogeology.
Reinhold Publishing Corp., New York.

Loy, William G. 1976. Atlas of Oregon. University of Oregon.

Niehaus, T.F. and C.L. Ripper. 1976. A Field Guide to Pacific States Wildflowers.
Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.

Ornduff, Robert. 1974. Introduction to California Plant Life. University of California
Press, Berkeley.

Schnell, Don. 1976. Carnivorous Plants of the United States and Canada. John F.
Blair, Publisher

U.S. Dept, of Agriculture. 1941. Climate and Man. U.S. Govt. Printing Office.
Washington, D.C.

Wheeler, David L. and Thomas Atzet. Guide to Common Forest Plants; Rogue River,
Siskiyou and Umpqua National Forests. 1985. United States Dept, of Agriculture.

ICPS Informal Gathering

by

Mr. and Mrs. Carl R. Taylor
2651 Larkin Ave.

Lakeport-Canastola, NY 13032

The First Informal Gathering was held August 7-9, 1992, at the home of Carl and

Volume 22 September 1993

75

Sherry Taylor in Lakeport, New York. Attending were 17 IPCS enthusiasts, one
tropical fish hobbyist (Sherry), and Bill Scholl’s brother, who promptly split for Canada
rather than sit through yet another discussion of the relative merits of one CP over
another.

Present were Christoph Belanger, Scott Bennett, Fritz Berckmuller , Jim Bockowski ,,
Donna Ziedel, Mitchell Bogan (with his elderly Akita, Scruffy), Peter Keller, Peter and
Lisa Northcote, Rob Maharajha, Carl Mazur, Randy and Robin Ogg, Bill Scholl, David
Stewart, Dr. Stephen Williams, and of course Carl Taylor. Thanks to several months
of making lists of supplies, foods, meal requirements, and a time schedule for various
activities, the event went smoothly.

First to arrive was Chris, who has obviously received proper maternal guidance
since he quickly offered to take over rug cleaning chores while Sherry attended to last-
minute kitchen duties. Scott Bennett appeared, laden with several stunning watercol-
ors of CPs. Several queries brought the response that they were his personal paintings
and not for sale but brought for our viewing pleasure. Scott has done numerous ICPS
covers. I can’t think of a better gift for your special ICPS person if you can talk Scott into
doing one for you. He can be reached Delavan Center, 501 West Fayette Street,
Syracuse, New York, 13204.

Several others trickled in over the next few hours and spent the time waiting for
Carl to arrive from work by getting acquainted and viewing his greenhouse and
basement plantroom. A cold buffet was set out, and the evening passed too quickly as
attendees caught up on the latest news and views, discovered who was keeping which
plants, shared tips and ideas, described plants and seeds they brought to trade and
share, and pumped Bill Scholl and Jim Bockowski for details of their Mt. Ilu trip. David
began to set up his tent in the yard but gratefully accepted a piece of the living room
floor instead as did Peter Keller and Bill. Several people left for their hotel rooms
around 11 PM, leaving Chris holding down the spare bedroom, while Peter, David and
Bill distributed their sleeping bags colorfully across the living room rug. Finally,
conversation died to fits and starts, and sleepy voices muttered goodnights around 2
AM.

A cheerful Peter Keller brought groans from the rest early the next morning, but
he was forgiven when he passed out steaming mugs of coffee. Breakfast was quickly
prepared and eaten as more attendees straggled in, ready for the day’s lectures and
slide shows. All headed for the auction barn at the end of the street, where Scott Bennett
led off with his slides of wild specimens of P. vulsaris in the northeast and D. californica
along with other CPs. Next up was Peter Northcote with slides covering New Zealand
species as well as D. californica. again from the wild, mixed with slides and information
on other CPs he has encountered in his travels

For lunch, the group returned to the Taylor home for a backyard picnic. As
promised, mosquitoes had mounted a bloody onslaught, making Chris feel like the
main course on their lunch menu, but liberal applications of “Off’ repellant slackened
the attack to a divebombing, buzzing annoyance. Intermittent, light rain began as
small groups wandered back to the auction barn for the afternoon’s shows. First up was
Dr. Steven E. Williams of the Department of Biology at Lebanon Valley College in
Annville, Pennsylvania, detailing genetic progression and development in plants. Dr.
Williams’ special interest is Drosera species. Completing activities was Chris Belanger,
who delved into the mysteries and delights of Utricularia species, their care, propaga¬
tion, requirements and differences. A backyard barbeque had been planned for dinner,
but the fitful rain turned into a steady drip just in time to force Carl to move the gnllto

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Carnivorous Plant Newsletter

the garage. Nevertheless, the unevenly cooked wings and hamburgers were eagerly
devoured by all. When you’re talking CPs, food is an afterthought! Other planned
activities that bit the dust were a formal plant and seed exchange and a meeting to
discuss a possible formal convention to be held in 1993. The constant ebb and flow
through the house from living room to greenhouse to kitchen to basement plantroom
to yard to dining room made it difficult to get everyone in one spot for a meeting. By
the end most had wheeled, dealed and traded on an informal basis, anyway. Rob had
brought a large bag of carefully-wrapped seed packets, which were tumbled out onto
the coffee table and picked over as people came and went. Bill Scholl’s tape of the trip
was placed in the VCR and played to a standing-room only, appreciative audience. Bill

The group meeting at Carl Taylor’s last summer included, left to right, Stephen
Williams, Carl Mazur, Donna Ziedel, Jim Bockowski, Rob Maharajh, Sherry
Taylor, Carl Taylor, Chris Belager, Bill Scholl, Lisa Northcote, Peter Northcote,
Peter Keller. David Stewart is kneeling.

dited some 12 hours of video down to 2-1/4 hours of the finest “you are there” footage.
It’s available from Bill for $30 in U.S. format (write to him at 11420 Winterock Road,
Chesterfield, Virginia, 23832) or in a European format from Allen Hindle at 29
Montserrat Road, Lee-on-the-Solent, Hampshire, England, P0139LT. If you crave CPs
and adventure, this tape you can and should buy! Makes a great gift, too.

After another late evening, the gang gradually dispersed to hotels and sleeping
bags. Sunday morning brought photo sessions and more plant/seed trades and talk as
cars were loaded for the drive home. David was one of the last to go, reluctantly.
However, we had not heard the last of him that day. The phone rang a couple of hours
later, and David explained that “in my delirium, I forgot to take my own plants!”
Thinking fast, Sherry replied very seriously, “Oh, I think we traded those off.” There
was a painful silence, and then his carefully-controlled but unhappy voice said “Oh?
(long pause) Really.” Carl quickly reassured him the plants were safe, and David made
arrangements to drive up again in a few weeks to retrieve them.

Literature Review

Schnell, Donald E, 1993. Sarracenia purpurea L. ssp. venosa (RaD Wherry var.
bufkii Schnell (Sarraceniaceae) — A new variety for the Gulf Coastal Plain. Rhodora
95:6-10.

Often referred to as the “Louis Burk” form of the subspecies in an informal way
over the years, the author has concluded that the variety is indeed the prominent if not
only one of the subspecies along the Gulf coast. Since there is disj unction through most

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77

of south Georgia with the Atlantic and mountain variety of the subspecies, and given
the well- known characters of nearly white disc and ovary, pink to lavendar petals, and
generally more patulous pitcher, formal description seemed in order. The paper
includes one color and two black and white photos. (Reprints: Rt. 1, Box 145C, Pulaski,
VA 24301).

Reveal, James L. 1993. The correct name of the northern expression of Sarracenia
purpurea L. (Sarraceniaceae). Phytologia 74:180-184.

After researching the history of S. purpurea re nomenclature, the author has
concluded that the northern group of plants should be referred to as var. terrae-novae,
and the southern as var. purpurea. The reader will have to read the original article
in its entirety to follow the complex reasoning, but it involves the absence of the
original type specimen(?) from Linnaeus’ herbarium folder (There is a sarrcenia folder
but nothing in it!) and choice of lectotype. If so, then any nomenclature that follows
is based on “original sin” (editor phrase) and one must then choose new varietal or
subspecies names according the ICBN rules. What follows is editorial comment: The
author makes a point that may be valid and I am sure he believes so. However, being
a physician, I will await “second opinions” on this. His concept of the lectotype does not
agree with McDaniel, for instance. Often, interpreting such problems as loss of original
type specimens, involves reasoning and maneuvering around in ICBN (which has
some passages that can be interpreted in different ways) and a resulting write-up
worthy of a Law Review article. Let’s wait and see before we change all those labels!

Cheek, Martin. 1993. Notes on hybrids in drosera. The Kew Magazine 10: 138-144.

The author briefly reviews natural and artificial drosera hybrids, both extant in
the literature and those produced but possibly not published, particularly as sold by
some CP nurseries, past and present. The author formally describes Drosera x
badgerupii (the former Lake Badgerup plants, now known to be the hybrid between
D. nitidula and D. occidentalis), Drosera x nagamotoi (D. anglica x D. spathulata) and
Drosera x californica (the horticultural hybrid D. filiformis ‘California Sunset’).
Readers may be confused by the latter, but it is quite proper to affix a botanical name
to a hybrid as well as a cultivar name to a plant from that cross selected for its
horticultural name.

Dees, Mary, et. al. 1993. Plants in peril, 19 Sarracenia oreophila. The Kew Magazine
10:144-148.

This is one of a series of articles on endangered plant species, in this case S.
oreophila. There is a review of the history of the species, numbers of present locations,
range, numbers of plants, threats, etc. There is an informal description of the plant
and a nice line drawing. The various attempts at protection and recovery are reviewed .

Gassin, R. J. 1993. Utricularia beaugleholei (Lentibulariaceae: Subgenus Utricu-
laria: Section Pleiochasia), a new species from southeastern Australia. Muelleria
8:37-42.

There is frequent confusion between U. dichotoma and U. uniflora in the field and
among herbarium specimens. Apparently both species can occur in the same location.
The author makes a case for a third species in this small group which he has described
in this paper and named U. beaugleholei after a botanist named A. C. Beauglehole.
Generally, the flowers of the new species are larger although the peduncles are no
taller. There are differences in the lateral view aspect of the flowers as well which are
illustrated in comparison in line drawings. There are also microscopic trap differences
as described and illustrated. The paper also has a range map.

78

Carnivorous Plant Newsletter

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING
MATERIAL TO CPN

All material you wish to have considered for publication in CPN
must be sent to either Don Schnell or Joe Mazrimas (addresses on
inside front cover), not to the business address at the Fullerton
Arboretum. Text material similar in character to that in the NEWS &
VIEWS and SHORT NOTES will be considered. Please keep written
material as succinct as you can.

All written material, no matter how brief MUST be sent typewrit¬
ten or word-processed in double space format to allow the editors room
for editing marks. For purposes of computer scan page setup, a laser
or laserjet printout is best followed by a new or recently installed
ribbon in a standard printer or typewriter. Copy must be crisp and
clear. Copy submitted in any other format will be returned for
appropriate processing. Computer users are encouraged to submit a
3.5 inch disk, preferably Macintosh compatible, along with a printout.

Color photos to accompany your article may be submitted as either
35mm slides or quality prints. Slides or prints that are blurred or have
poor distinction between the subject and background, cannot be used.
Keeping in mind the expense of producing color illustrations, and to
allow others the same privilege, keep your numbers of photos to the
minimum required to best illustrate your point in using them. All
photos must be accompanied by an appropriate legend. Do not write
the legend on the back of prints or on an envelope containing the slides
All legends must be typed or word-processed on a separate page as
described for text. Number the photos in light pencil (for prints lightly
on the backs) and use a corresponding number on your page of legends.

We do not encourage submission of any illustrative material that
does not accompany an article. We usually have sufficient material
backed up for ‘filler pictures” and will put out a call if more are needed.

In submitting photos, it is best to send duplicate prints or slides in
case of loss or damage. We will make every effort to promptly return
photos if requested, otherwise we will assume they are duplicates.

After submitting material please be patient regarding replies.
Some material may require review by both DES and JAM, or even an
outside reviewer. If your material is accepted, and it is not timed as a
dated announcement, please be patient awaiting its appearance in
CPN since we sometimes have material for a whole year’s issues.

Volume 22 September 1993

79