Ricardo (albermalessounds) does collect wild seed, that is correct, but. Many people who know him, know he only does it on a small scale, and only in well established populations. I cannot vouch for the other shops, who i feel are probably the same people (nepenthecea, morebuyfromthisshop) but I have bought seed from Ricardo a few times, hoping to sustain some genetic variation in culture.
Where do you think your ventricosa originally came from? Or all of the seed grown hamata from BE and AWs release, or any Nep for that matter.
I can certainly say that Ricardo is not going to destroy a population, like the poachers have destroyed the population of N. clipeata or construction destroying the populations of N. bokorensis and N. thorelii.
Mcmcnaw, before you go and scream highly avoid someone, take some facts into consideration.
Yes, it is illegal to send these seed internationally without the correct permits, however many of the seed grown plants in your closest CP buddies collection probably came this way.
A good number of the seed goes to very capable growers
A Nepenthes flpeer can be anywhere from just a few buds, to over a hundred. Each pod containing upwards of 50 seed, of Ricardo harvests 10 sellable portions of 50 seeds, this is 10 pods, generally on a plant flower of 50-100 pods, and 9 times out of 10 the rest of the population is in bloom in that area as well. So you have thousands of seed still remaining, so even taking twice that from a HEALTHY population is not going to devistate it (this does not make this morally correct, but morals are based on views, and I'm sure he has a family to support, and every dollar counts.)
Many of my seed grown plants from this man have been -GIVEN- to other growers. I don't usually sell them unless I know for sure what they are, and I prefer to spread material through the hobby to a capable grower, rather than a pocket heavy rich grower.
I'm probably straying off topic. It's 5:45AM and time to leave for work.
