P. casabitoana emergency

[Amateur_Expert]

I'm posting this in the general forums because not everyone visits the Ping forum, this is the busiest section, mods please dont move it.

Does anyone on the forums have this ping:
http://www.petflytrap.com/cgi-bin....t=14261

Trying to look for someone that has this in captivity. Its originally from the Dominican Republic, but hurricane george destroyed the 5 places that its known to live in. When i go back to the dominican republic im gonna look for it and make it a mission to try and bring some seeds back to germinate and spread throughout the forums. I read a document that states that he has looked for it and has found no survivors. Hurricane george occured a while ago so im hoping that some survived but where not found, and that they have reproduced by now. I'm worried i wont find any, thats why i want to know if anyone on the forums has one. If they do, please PM me or post here. I'd like some seeds to take back to the dominican republic to reintroduce.
Also.. anyone with more information on how i should go about reintroducing it to the wild.. i'd really like some. Not sure if i just throw the seeds and forget about it, or germinate them first and then introduce them

 

[ChronoKiento]

I say you grow them to full size then plant em.

 

[Clint]

if the sites were destroyed, there are likeley leaves that are still floating around somewhere that will grow new plants.

 

[Clint]

by the way, if you want to take some snapshots on how they are doing for us in december, you can find them in Casa bito, Al to del and Loma Vieja.

i'd really like to see this plant introduced into culture. If you take anything, make sure it's all legal and you have permission. and dont forget about your old friend clint when you spread them around

(i know i know it's rude to ask, but this is a special case ; i want to hlp distribute them.)

by the way, this species is supposed to be ahrd to collect and to transport, according to posts on the cp mailing list.

heres a link to George's story. i especially dont like the last line and we are gonna have to change that!

george

 

[Amateur_Expert]

Yeah i read that already, and i already know the location. I was looking at a calendar this morning, one i got in DR, and right in my face was a picture of P. casabitoana!

I'm trying to get in touch with the photographer. It was shot on 2003, so there must be some. Its a calendar of all the geographic places in the DR and it has the name of the place and everything. I had not read about this location so it brings new hope. It isn't far away, i usually go to La Vega anyway, tons of family over there. There are many mountains over there too, its a really beautiful place i should of known there were CPs there

 

[Amateur_Expert]

Great... just great... theres this new hurricane.. Jeanne.. and it just went through Puerto Rico and is going through the DR as we speak. Its going West, it's like totally centered and going through the entire thing. Its category 1, 80MPH winds. The woman on the weather channel just said "hopefully the mountains in the dominican republic will help break it up". Thats great, the mountains will break it up, that really makes me feel better.

Some good news:
I have definate directions to "Reserva Cientifica Ebano Verde" which is where the photographer took the pictures. Mountain Casabitoa (where p. casabitoana originates from) is in that scientific reserve.

Some BETTER news:
I just spoke to my mom, and i was telling her about whats going on and why i need to go La Vega, and i showed her the address, and she said "YEAH we are going there next time" she told me that our family over there has already planned a trip to Mt. Casabitoa!

 

[Pyro]

P. casabitoana is not currently in cultivation and is likely going to be next to impossible for the average grower to cultivate. Given the nature of the plant only those well experienced in cultivation of cloud forest orchids are likely to succeed. As such I would highly recommend that if you do find any plants at any of the locations that you not collect any material unless you know for certain that you can get it into the hands of the right people. Other wise you are doing nothing more than diminishing the amount of seed that could potentially repopulate the areas naturally.

Also, I have discussed with a number of people how this plant might be transported. The general consensus is that about the only way to insure live plants arrive with someone new is to hand deliver the plants or to get the plant into TC and send the flask. Plants packed and mailed literally melt when the moisture from transpiration begins to build up in the bags they are sealed in. Because of thie I admonish you to not even consider removing any plants you might find.

I might have access to an individual who photographed this species recently. I will attempt to get a hold of this individual to see if his site is new. THere is always hope.

I would also like to add, especially after the recent red tube flava site incident, that information relayed second and third hand can be wrong. Do not believe everything you read or hear.

Not to mention the fact that this species obviously had to evolve to fit its current niche and doubtless through the history of that time hurricanes have laid waste to the island. Nature is stronger than we give it credit for. I would be willing to bet that in a few years time these plants will be able to be found again having germinated from seed.

 

[Amateur_Expert]

I don't doubt that there are still some, but i really would try to get it into cultivation. Our family has a house 10 minutes walking distance from the mountain. I won't take any from the mountain, but i will visit it many times, and record information which i'll use when i try to transport the seeds back and sow them. When i come back, using the information, i'll create the growing conditions. I'm going to test the day and night temperature, humidity in the day, and humidity at night, maybe PH of the soil too. After i have those things, i'll try to see if i can write down as many specifications as i can.

 

[Amateur_Expert]

I don't think (like the red tube flava incident) people are going to waste money on plane tickets to go all the way to the dominican republic, i think florida was easier to get at. I've decided to do this because it's basically my second home, when im not here, im usually over there, and i go over there alot. I'm going back in a few months in december, thats when i wanna do this.

 

[Finch]

you should really listen to pyro. He is correct. Do not take any plant material from the wild. What if you fail? There will be even less plant materil tan before of the species.

Anyway, CPs really belong in the wild. We may cultivate them, but the wild will always be their true home.

 

[TheAlphaWolf]

I wouldn't take any either.

 

[Amateur_Expert]

Pyro didn't tell me not to take any, he told me to use my judgement when i do (like if i see 10 plants i take 9). I'm definately not taking any plants, just some seeds from one of them, then i'll give it to Pyro to put into tissue culture.

 

[Finch]

still...

 

[Starman]

I htink oyu hspud take them, but take less. If you see 10, then only take up to 5.

 

[Amateur_Expert]

thats exactly the plan dino

 

[Starman]

Quote[/b] (Amateur_Expert @ Sep. 17 2004,2:35)]thats exactly the plan dino

You siad you would take 9/10.

 

[Amateur_Expert]

no, i meant that as an example of what NOT to do, im not taking any plants at all, just seeds

 

[Starman]

Quote[/b] (Amateur_Expert @ Sep. 17 2004,2:46)]no, i meant that as an example of what NOT to do, im not taking any plants at all, just seeds

I odnt reccoemnd you take seeds, because chances are, they will never germinate and simply die. Seeds of easy Pinguicula are quite hard to germiante,a nd these will be VERY hard to germinate. I reccomend you take a few palnts(ONLY if there are at LEAST 6 plants) Thne post a quesytion to find a responsible grower who has a high chance of growing them successfully, then prefarably arrange to meet that grower soemwhere and hand him the plant.
Dino

 

[Pyro]

ICPS guidlines would dictate that in a situation where you see only 10 plants you probably not take any or at most 1. I can not remember the guidelines for seed but I think it is something like 10% max so if all 10 plants had seed pods then you could only take 1 pod.

I very much recommend that the ICPS website be checked to clarify the matter.

Dino,

Obviously you missed the part of my post that said that whole plants will die before they can be given to other growers. I do not know why you think that Ping seed is difficult as most of them are quite easy. And even if these are difficult the goal is TC which is absolutly different than regular seed sowing. In TC almost any seed can be germinated so long as it is disease free and alive. If the TC lab has experience in cloud forest orchid then they should be able to do these without a problem

 

[Starman]

I have neevr been able to germinate pings seeds, even tho I followed the guidelines correctly.

I am trying again wiht P.alpina seeds, I iwll sow them in Ocotber/November and they should germinate by May, usually much sooner.
If they dont then I iwll give up.
Dino