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Periflare - The Peristome Flaring Device

Nepenthesis

Formerly known as Pineapple
So I've had this idea for quite a while and have been thinking about how to do it. I notice that many Nepenthes peristomes folder over onto the back and you only see it completely flared out while it is opening. I'd like to always be able to see that for taking pictures or just viewing. I know this couldn't be commercially sold because it would literally put whoever makes it in debt since so few people in the world keep Nepenthes. Just thinking that this could be a DIY mod and was curious how you think I should go about building a cheap prototype.

You would need two per pitcher... It would probably have to be sized for the peristome you want to use it on. I think this could make people's plants look a lot more appealing... Could even get you to go up a few places in the POTM contests, right? :p

Just an idea I'm throwing out there... If you like it, advice on how to go about creating it would be appreciated. :D
 
What you would need is a flange shaped like an upside down "L" made in two oblong / circular halves that could attaching to each other behind the lid and at the front by pegs and holes so it could be adjusted for pitcher size (think of how a belt works). If you knew how to make silicone molds & cast urethane resin you could make the flanges easily enough, it would be just like prototyping action figure parts.
 
lol, that is hillarious!

when i first read that i was thinking it was a completely stupid idea, and this whole thread is a joke or somethin, but now that i think about it, that mabey could work! you would have to put it on the pitcher as it is opening, because the peristome is kindof stiff, and might break if you tried to flare it out. then as the peristome is opening, it hits the device, which i think would be some sort of brace thing, and stops curling backward, and stays open and flared!

i wonder if this would work on my new Nepenthes 'miranda'?
 
As soon as exams are done I've got an idea on how to do this. I'll post pics after I make it. Should be relatively simple to make and inexpensive and if it works how I want I'd be willing to make an extra for those that are interested.
 
What you would need is a flange shaped like an upside down "L" made in two oblong / circular halves that could attaching to each other behind the lid and at the front by pegs and holes so it could be adjusted for pitcher size (think of how a belt works). If you knew how to make silicone molds & cast urethane resin you could make the flanges easily enough, it would be just like prototyping action figure parts.

I'm having a hard time following what that would look like. It sounds kinda complicated and seems like it is well thought through. If you could draw up a diagram (even just the simple paint drawing of the shape of it in reference to the pitcher), that would be awesome. If you guys all give me your ideas, I can work on making them when I have time. :)

lol, that is hillarious!

when i first read that i was thinking it was a completely stupid idea, and this whole thread is a joke or somethin, but now that i think about it, that mabey could work! you would have to put it on the pitcher as it is opening, because the peristome is kindof stiff, and might break if you tried to flare it out. then as the peristome is opening, it hits the device, which i think would be some sort of brace thing, and stops curling backward, and stays open and flared!

i wonder if this would work on my new Nepenthes 'miranda'?

Hmm... Not familiar with how it opens. Some Nepenthes it obviously won't work on or look any good on, like N. ventricosa. If Miranda opens up and flares its peristome for a day or two while opening, I'm sure you could do it.

I was thinking of doing it by getting some sort of large flexible device that is flat, kinda like a strip of a piece of paper. However, it would be much bulkier, so like 1/4" or 1/3" thick even. I could have some rounded edges to prevent slicing of the pitcher. Perhaps coated in a squishy foam. One big question is... If the peristome flares out and you remove the brace after two or three weeks, would the peristome curl back to what it would be like usually or would it hold the position?

As soon as exams are done I've got an idea on how to do this. I'll post pics after I make it. Should be relatively simple to make and inexpensive and if it works how I want I'd be willing to make an extra for those that are interested.

Well hey, if you can make it from simple stuff, you could just post the blue prints and everyone could try their hand at it. As I said, it is nothing you could monopolize on lol. If you have time to type up the idea on a weekend when you aren't studying for exams, you could describe it and we could try making our own ones. :)

Thanks for the ideas everyone! :)
 
This sounds like an amazing idea! My Veitchii K just developed an amazing flare... I'll try to add a little DIY device to it to see how the plant takes to the change before the peristome folds back. Maybe a large size portion of 6in plastic pipe could serve as the platform?
 
Okay and to add to the genius, one more idea that I had...

You could shape pitchers. So say you had a vogelii pitcher that you want long and skinny like the picture perfect models. What you do is you take a cylinder that is the shape you desire... Next, stick the pitcher in the cylinder so that the pitcher hits the bottom. Let the pitcher grow and when it is about to pop open, cut the cylinder off or slide it off. Then you have your perfectly shaped pitcher. If you have a big robust pitcher like merrilliana, you could perhaps put it on a tubby square bottle and let it grow to fit, but you would need to put a lid over it to prevent it from growing up and out instead of short and tubby. The lid would be if you want the pitcher tubby and no lid would be if you want the pitcher to be tall. You could also shape neps like toilet bowls... Put the bottom part of the pitcher in a tight fit and let the top part grow as it needs to... Then you have a cool toilet bowl shaped one like inermis or jamban.

If Nepenthes would more popular, I would never share these ideas because they're too genius... But since it is such a small community and I couldn't make anything from it, better just share them. I'd really appreciate if you guys with some larger pitchers could try these ideas out for me... I will for sure. If we manipulate the shapes of the pitchers to where they are almost alien, I'm sure anyone could win POTM. Heck, it could turn into a form of art like bonsai trimming -- pitcher shaping. :)

I know this would work to some extent because I crammed a ventricosa pitcher between medium and the edge of the pot and it formed to where one side of it was a perfect flat 90 degree plane, as shaped by the side of the pot. I could only see an issue if you crammed the pitcher into too tiny of a spot and it couldn't being to form.

Worth a shot, right? :p
 
lol wow. just wow :lol:

this is going down the route of square watermelons haha the plants grow how they have evolved to grow. and that is where their beauty rests imo. imma have to start a nepenthes rights group or just kill pineapple :awesome:
 
lol wow. just wow :lol:

this is going down the route of square watermelons haha the plants grow how they have evolved to grow. and that is where their beauty rests imo. imma have to start a nepenthes rights group or just kill pineapple :awesome:

Haha... :p Well this wouldn't have to be genetically engineered... You could probably do the shaping pretty easily. Since it is a plant and not an animal, it is humane. It is, like I said, kinda an art form. Like bonsai shaping. :)
 
  • #10
its not an art form at all lol are you kidding me? bonsai technique takes a lifetime to master, I don't see the point. :lol:

my work here is done :p
 
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  • #11
Square watermelons and Buddha shaped pears! :lol:
 
  • #12
Square watermelons and Buddha shaped pears! :lol:

Well I bet if you could find a tight enough bottle and a big enough pitcher, you could probably make a Buddha shaped Nepenthes -- or some face. Maybe like the bear on they honey bottles... Stick the tendril through the spout and let it form, then before it opens, cut the honey bottle off and you'll have a cute little honey bear pitcher. :)

You could probably shape something like Obama and grow a pitcher in it and sell it on eBay as a "rare obama-shaped carnivorous pitcher plant pitcher"... :awesome:
 
  • #13
My next money maker! :awesome:
 
  • #14
I'm sure there are people that would buy them :lol:
 
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  • #15
Back to the question on hand though, there is a very easy way to manufacture things easily and quickly: 3d printing. Now I know what you're thinking "Who in the world has a 3d printer?" Not a whole lot of people, but a whole lot of people want to. This is how websites like Shapeways.com and Sculpteo.com came to be. You could use these services to create a plastic piece to fit around the pitchers in various different sizes, but unfortunately not in any materials like silicone or rubber.
 
  • #16
pineapple, i think this is a cool idea and worth pursuing. of course we all love nepenthes' for what they are naturally but why not experiment with different shaping ideas also? i think you should do it and keep us updated!!
 
  • #17
Dude, I'm way ahead of ya: I've been manipulating pitcher shapes for months:
photo-2-e1368763856168.jpg
 
  • #18
Dude, I'm way ahead of ya: I've been manipulating pitcher shapes for months:
photo-2-e1368763856168.jpg

Is that one pitcher inside of the other? Have you tried anything like tying a string around the pitcher to shape it that way? I'd be interested in knowing the methods you use.
 
  • #19
Is that one pitcher inside of the other? Have you tried anything like tying a string around the pitcher to shape it that way? I'd be interested in knowing the methods you use.

Its a pitcher inside a pitcher, yes. It was an accident; not something I made happen. A nasty, nasty accident!
 
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