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how the carp do they do it? (yes i said carp)

so i've been thinking---why is it so difficult to pollinate pure specimens of nepenthes? i mean, if we have so much difficulty trying to create "pure-breeds" in cultivation, how would they possibly be able to do so in the wild without producing an overwhelming amount of hybrids? are flowerings triggered at different times to reduce hybridization as with Sarracenia in sympatric locations? are there any scientific journals that may help give us info on triggering flowering times so we might be able to replicate conditions in cultivation and synch our male and female plants together?
 
the problem is getting a male and female of a species to flower at the same time.....most ppl are interested in producing some pure species when they have a female flowering however very few growers dedicate the space necessary for growing multiple clones of the same species to maturity......if you notice very few growers are producing even hybrids in house......most ppl that have a plant blooming have to look outside their collection for a male, any male, blooming at the same time......most collections are probably very similar to mine in that they have a bunch of plants in various levels of maturity.....ive got around 20 neps but only a couple are even capable of flowering at the moment......

some species also only flower rarely......i have a bongso with nearly 6 feet of vine that has shown no interest in flowering.....i believe another grower of the same species told me he let his hit 8 feet before he gave up and chopped the vine as bongso really doesnt produce pitchers in the vining stage very often to you get this long vine that doesnt look like much.....
 
i get that--plants at varying maturity levels will produce their own flowers whenever they feel ready, but i have the feeling that there has to be more than this in order for these plants to survive in the wild--let alone their own kind and not hybrids. just for the sake of argument, Sarrs, while being at different years of maturity, all mature plants are able to synch all their blooms together at a specific time, whether early just right after dormancy or slightly later. it doesnt matter if the plant is a 4 year old plant or an 8 year old plant--because they are the same species, they are coded to flower at the same time. could there be an unknown factor, such as lighting, drought, or pheromones that could trigger neps to sync their flowering schedules.

im going to submit the idea that it isn't random at all, but there are certain triggers that we may have caused (either knowingly or unknowingly) that cause flowering. and perhaps the triggers aren't even the same triggers for the same species, perhaps there are different trigger requirements for both males and females within the same species--although it would make sense for them to respond to the same trigger.
 
but sarrs require different seasons to be grown, real easy to sync up bloom times......nepenthes dont and though there are variations in seasons in the wild few growers have the know how or capabilities to produce these in their greenhouse, windowsills or grow rooms as most of these are variations in moisture.....im sure if you set out to truly do it you can get alot of neps to sync up but its going to require the understanding and implimenting of variations more suptle than the dormancy cycle of a temperate Sarr....
 
yeah rattler. i will agree that syncing Sarrs are definitely easier to do than neps. but i also think the reason why we perceive Sarrs to be easy to sync is because we know more about their requirements and conditions more than we know about Neps. dern...time to write up a proposal and ask for money to go to SE Asia! :)
 
Keep in mind that there usually is a triggering factor that makes plants flower. As you stated above, Sarrs do so because of the temperatures and photoperiod. These events aren't set in stone though and they can throw you a curve ball http://www.terraforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=119493
Since most Neps experience more tropical conditions than Sarrs, these triggering factors (IF ANY) may not be as obvious or defined. My guess is that photoperiod still plays a major role. There are a few threads on here that suggest longer photoperiod (24/7) for a few weeks can trigger flowering in Heliamphora.
Interesting topic.
I'd like to see the effects of abscisic acid on Nepenthes, perhaps it triggers flowering like with many other plants.
 
it would be cool if someone were able to test this out. it would have significant implications both in cultivation and conservation. thanks for the link to the Sarr flower triggering French--could be due to photoperiod and cooler weather (similar to at the beginning of spring)--which could possibly mean, if you maintained those conditions, you could continuously flower the sarrs (although it'd be quite detrimental to the plant). both heli and sarr flowering triggers could help us figure out Neps as well. *crosses fingers*
 
it would be cool if someone were able to test this out. it would have significant implications both in cultivation and conservation.

Absolutely. I edited after you posted above but testing the effects of abscisic acid on Neps could lead to great breakthroughs for individual growers that are trying to flower Neps at the same time. Most people have to trade pollen unless they have an extant collection.
 
So what does "carp" mean then?
its in the subject line, but then is never explained..

just curious,
Scot
 
  • #11
The reason few people breed pure species has been stated: Nepenthes hobbyists are few and far between, and Nepenthes themselves can be some of the most demanding plants most people ever own. You take this into perspective and the fact that any of the few large collectors and breeders in the world ever even manage to have two flowering male and female plants of the SAME species at the same time is a miracle in of itself.

Also has been stated, but Nepenthes are true tropical plants. As with most trees and plants that grow in the tropics they often flower in irregular patterns or whenever the often very specific sub climates that various Nepenthes species grow in allow them to do so.

Also I think it should be stated that in comparison with Sarracenias, Nepenthes are often larger, longer lived plants. In all reality they are extremely different plants all around.

And you ask what keeps Nepenthes surviving in the wild and not getting interbred into oblivion? Well they do interbreed quite regularly, as there are many known naturally occurring hybrids. What keeps species from disappearing altogether is that the islands they are endemic to separate species from each other geographically. (many species secluded to single peaks, basins, or cliff edges.)

The irregular tropical flowering season is another reason why many Nepenthes species ARE rare, vanishing or endangered. When man interferes with environmental factors it can severely disrupt the delicate breeding cycle of these awesome and complex plants.
 
  • #12
im with you there Dexenthes. however, i would like to go further in depth about the reproductive cycles of Nepenthes if there is any. for the most part, i understand that most scientific journals surrounding nepenthes species consist of species descriptors, physiology, and generalizations, but not much detail into exploring specifics of life history. what would be nice is if one could find an article that records the number inflourescences within a local population over time to determine whether it is truly a sporadic flowerer or if there are environmental triggers that we've failed to notice.
 
  • #13
I totally agree, there should be somebody studying such a thing. Sadly I don't think many people with a profound enough interest would have the budget or capability of carrying out a study like that.
 
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