What's Happening to my Paddle?

[jimscott]

Is it possible for D. 'Ivan's Paddle' to turn (back) into D. rotundifolia?

 

[CPlantaholic]

Hey Jim,
I'm guessing you grew your plant outdoors last summer?
Also, are you currently feeding it?
I've found that they shrink considerably after a while if they don't get food. It may need more light too though...I'm not sure
I've never had a problem with my 'Paddle' before, but mine has done what yours is currenly doing when I took it in from outdoors and didn't feed it for a while.

However, on another note, I have had issues with D. 'Charles Darwin'...
My main D. rotundifolia 'Charles Darwin' spontaneously evaporated this summer after doing the D. 'Ivan's Paddle' thing even though I was still feeding it. I'm still trying to coax along my other babies that I propagated, but I just found that odd- no dormant bud- they just disintegrated....

The odd thing is that I had another of Ivan Snyder's hybrids in the same cup (D. x watari) and they are still thriving in that cup, so I don't know what went wrong...

 

[amphirion]

i thought 'ivan's paddle' was a cultivator hybrid--which means that it shouldn't be able to revert to a D. rotundifolia. but maybe it's D. rotundifolia heritage is manifesting itself.

anywho--Pete D'Amato has it underneath his tropicals section. maybe you should grow it as a tropical instead.

 

[Wolfn]

I don't think it's possible for hybrids to revert back to one species. It would be cool if they did, but I don't think so.

 

[kulamauiman]

D. 'Ivan's Paddle' is a fertile hybrid between D. anglica and D. rotundifolia. There could be some potential for the seedlings to germinate and look much different from 'Ivan's Paddle'. Did it flower, Jim? Could seeds have dropped back into the pot? Would almost think they should show some characteristics of each of the original crosses more strongly. I am trying this now to see what germinates and how the offspring look. Gonna name a selections 'Some one Else's paddle'

 

[Not a Number]

http://www.carnivorousplants.org/cpn/Species/v37n1p22_26.html#paddle
The plant is easily propagated by leaf cuttings and division of the clumps it forms over time. Although able to produce at least a few good seed it should not be reproduced this way. Because of its strange hybrid nature it does not breed true. Growing the plant from seed should only be done by a grower wishing to develop new forms. This can be interesting and produce some odd leaf shapes, but many seedlings must be raised as most will be less vigorous. If the seedlings you may produce are worth cultivar status, perhaps you will want to name it ‘Your-Name-Here Paddle.’ I continue to select progeny in hopes of increasing its fertility and genetic stability, although I am very pleased with one particular second generation clone.

This plant will go dormant if you let it. It could be "semi-dormant" as D. rotundifolia is prone to.

Due to heat trauma (closed room, hot day) my plant died down and grew rounded leaves for several months before resuming growth of the paddle shaped leaves.

I've also seen greenhouse grown examples grow rounded leaves.

For the most stability grow 'Ivan's Paddle' under lights.

 

[jimscott]

D. 'Ivan's Paddle' is a fertile hybrid between D. anglica and D. rotundifolia. There could be some potential for the seedlings to germinate and look much different from 'Ivan's Paddle'. Did it flower, Jim? Could seeds have dropped back into the pot? Would almost think they should show some characteristics of each of the original crosses more strongly. I am trying this now to see what germinates and how the offspring look. Gonna name a selections 'Some one Else's paddle'

Yes and yes! It's quite plausible that I have a generation of seedlings replacing last year's plants. They were indeed outside for several months and I do feed them the freezed dried bloodworms.

 

[CPlantaholic]

Hello again,
Just keep in mind that you have a large leaf attached to the shrunken plant, so at least the top plant of the middle clump has to be D. 'Ivan's Paddle', which looks identical at this time to the others in the clump, so I'm guessing they're all still D. 'Ivan's Paddle'.

I think that if you keep feeding them and giving them strong light, that they will all size back up again.

 

[jimscott]

I wasn't sure if the picture was an illusion or not, but I tugged in the old "paddle" leaf and it was indeed attached to the plant with the rounded (newer) leaves. I have been trying to keep in synch with the season by lowering the photoperiod with the timer. I had to up the photperiod an hour a couple weeks ago. As I see dew I will sprinkle food on the leaves and see what happens.

 

[CPlantaholic]

sounds good Jim.
Be sure to give an update down the line

 

[jimscott]

Absoluement!

 

[kulamauiman]

funny thing happened the other day. I was looking at my D. "Ivan's Paddle" growing in my unheated greenhouse and saw something odd. I could see round leaves being produced. Maybe a gene expression/signaling response to temp? As it gets colder the D. rotundifolia genes switch on more and provide greater influence on the leaf shape. They haven't gone dormant though. My D. rotundifolia "Charles Darwin" have all gone dormant.......


MTF

 

[jimscott]

I'm waiting to see what happens as the growing season kicks in. It would also be interesting to see if I can get leaf cuttings to strike.

 

[Not a Number]

Talking with Ivan Snyder today at the LACPS meeting he tells me that round leaf growth occurs rather regularly depending on the conditions. He said a few people whom had received plants from him asked if it were actually D. rotundifolia. He gave me a cup of 'Ivan's Paddle' which may actually contain the mother plant. I'll take some photos for reference tomorrow.

 

[jimscott]

Thanks for asking him.

 

[Not a Number]

I got these directly from Ivan Snyder yesterday. Note there are a couple very round leaves.

 

[jimscott]

Darn Depot filters! I can't see the pictures right now.

 

[Lil Stinkpot]

I can't see the image very clearly, darned monitor is acting up, but is that a white powder in the crown? It's either that or just 'dew hair.

 

[kulamauiman]

took some leaf cuttings earlier and all the ones that developed have very round leaves. Maybe the cool out doors or an effect of juvenile vs adult leaf forms? will get some pics soon.

 

[Not a Number]

The white stuff around the crown are stipules and trichomes (hairs). The little point and shot digital camera I inherited doesn't do good exposures in macro mode and yesterday was too overcast to shoot without flash. Since I've been out of work for over a year it's the best I can afford.