I just came acros this topic.. and have something to add:
First, some pictures taken at the growchamber of Malesiana Tropicals, who have a really nice specimens of N. edwardsiana. (and the only one i've ever seen in cultivation! No other cultivar , exept the above ,so far could provide a picture soo far as i know)
As i cannot comment all the things said in the previous 15 ! pages, i will restrict me to the follow:
It seems to be nearly impossible to cultivate this species in culture. The substrate seems to be the problem, according to the gardener at Malesiana.. (Personnaly i'm not too sure if this is true, rather a PR statement?)
Legitimacy of seeds: To illustrate, if you steal a thing an sell it, the buyer can get with "god faith" but never gets the propper propriety of the object, as the vendor lacks the propriety title.
In casu: a plant/seed taken in the wild and without permission as described earlier, will never become a "legal" specimen. Even with permission of an US Authority, as the Malesian authority initially refused it.
Thats a fact, its not like in the Church, where one gets an absolution.
The fact, that prominent cultivars and botanical gardens grow them, or an authority sends them back means nothing! The big nurserys will know that, else these N. edwardsiana would be on the market..
It is only a compromise of destroying a rare and already existing plant or give them to the right hands.. and let them survive.
And here i support very much the idea of giving/selling these seedlings only to EXPERIENCED growers. Among privats, the problem of exchanging "initially illegal collected" species should not be such a problem, as for big commercial nurserys. They only can work with legally obtained material..
The responsability lies in the hands of the cultivar, who obtains such rare plants.. and his skills and determination!
Often a setup for Highland nepentes and Orchids comes along with a big investments of time and money. Private collection can have both!
A true dilemma!
Regards from Berne
Olivier
PS: the pics
1:
http://www.firstiwasblind.ch/oli/pics/1000976.jpg
2:
http://www.firstiwasblind.ch/oli/pics/1000977.jpg
3:
http://www.firstiwasblind.ch/oli/pics/1000978.jpg