N. edwardsiana

[fatboy]

"They" are the Sabah National Park Administration, the people that run the park and that work for the Government that owns the park and that has every right to say what goes on there.

I have heard that they have their own tc lab so it occurs to me that they might want to make some money on having the sole source of legitimate edwardsiana, for a while at least?

 

[The Griffin]

Quote[/b] (fatboy @ June 20 2005,9:51)]"They" are the Sabah National Park Administration, the people that run the park and that work for the Government that owns the park and that has every right to say what goes on there.

I have heard that they have their own tc lab so it occurs to me that they might want to make some money on having the sole source of legitimate edwardsiana, for a while at least?

I don't have a problem with that, lol! If they can get it into tc, more power to them!

Cheers,

Joe

 

[RainforestGuy]

I also believe that having personal access to something that is unobtainable anywhere else is also a power issue.
I have seen other species of rare plants exploited to the point of it being undesirable. I don't want to see it propagated to the point Deroos has with N. Miranda, Ventrata and Coccinea, et al. Or with Agristart's N. ventricosa, rafflesiana, Judith Finn, etc. either.
I do feel that a professional organization or company (i.e. Borneo Exotics) should be responsible for organizing their propagation and release. This would relieve pressure off of illegally collected plants and at the same time allow propagation of seed produced populations that can be sold to individuals or organizations that will further their propagation by breeding with unrelated bloodlines. The remainder of the seed stock can be used for tc propagation for hobbyist and collectors of rare nepenthes.
I also believe that individuals should be allowed to grow this species since after seeing the many ways the members of this forum care for their plants, it is my opinion that a species will survive here well over a botanic garden or institution for keeping rare botanical species.


Michael

* Please note that the views expressed here are the sole ideas of this grower and not representative of the companies herewith mentioned in this OPINION

 

[SydneyNeps]

Michael,

As with your post on upper and lower pitchers, I couldn't have put it better myself. The collection and distribution of Nepenthes species is organic and haphazard. It leads to all sorts of things happening. Whilst I agree with a professional (read commercial) organisation being involved in propagation and release, I do think it needs to be done one a wide basis. As we see constantly, new species which are propagated exclusively by one nursery often have a premium attached which does not always reflect the true cost of development. It's amazing how far a little bit of competition goes.

One very salient point you've raised, which I have put in my conservation page which I am just about to upload onto my website, is the issue of 'bloodlines'. My fear, with the vast number of plants tissue cultured from a very few number of clones, is in-breeding. I have a number of rare plants coming into bloom next season which I am conscious of not crossing with its siblings from the same supplier. So I won't cross two aristolochioides from Malesiana, or hamata from Borneo Exotics for example. Unfortunately, the provenance of so much material floating round is poorly described, and it's difficult to impossible to work out what particular population material comes from. Anyway, I'm coming to close to ranting again.

The other point you raise about great efforts of individual in conservation is also germaine. I know of some extremely consciensious conservationists who go to great efforts to maintain a pure 'gene bank' for Nepenthes and other species. Unfortunately with public institutions such as botanical gardens, whilst goodwill is high, specialised knowledge is lacking as often are adequate funds and facilities. It's sad when ones donations to these institutions die or are stolen.

Hamish

 

[RainforestGuy]

Dear Hamish,

Without knowing anyone's agenda on this forum, I apologise for making broad views on such topics. I do have experience in seeing that botanic gardens can become greedy, or lending samples for pollen, seed and propagation material with due reply for donations, contributions and so forth.
While some institutions are the recipents for confiscated plant material, many do not have the necessary funds to support such specific culture. But do receive them without worry for monies for their survival. If so, what has happened to the many confiscated material such as N. rajah, lowii, edwardsiana, macrophylla, Trusmardiensis, clipeata, and so on previoulsy confiscated? Whether these organizations have the funds to maintain these specimens or further develop a breeding program with them or in cooperation with other botanical institutions this person has not seen the fruits of these endeavors yet,...please correct me if any institutions has facilitated in making any species previously unavailable, now available by either seed propagated, tc propagated or cutting released material from its own stock on hand.

As for monopolies and competition, I feel that a period of time should be implemented for propagation and distribution whether for sole distribution or for further release by growers from said propagators. This ensures that a specific target plant gets the attention it needs to be released and at the same time, allows cost and production by a company to recoup costs and expenses it has incurred. In other words if a company wants to fund a program for propagation or release of a new species, the more power to them! They fund and spend their time which has a monetary return whether exaggerated or confined. We see this on an ongoing daily basis with new drugs, new inventions and anything different from the norm, makes each and every one of them monopolistic. But eventually prices do come down and more and more people get richer from the original's trials and errors.

Any way, I am going blindly into hot topics.

But I really enjoy this forum and I may come across as a nepenthes nazi (e-mail: nepenthesnazi@yahoo.com) but all is good we all just want to make this honny more enjoyable and rewarding.

Michael