Big, Bad D. capensis

[theplantman]

I'm going to use this thread to photodocument my breeding program of D. capensis. I have been working on this species for 5 years. My original goal was to mash all of the genetic diversity I could into a handful of plants, and then see what came out of it. I feel that D. capensis is a great species that deserves more listed cultivars, but that the genetic diversity in cultivation is too small to really get unique variations from it. It's either you have a red plant, white plant, or perhaps the leaves are a little different. I've already had a plant that consistently makes double flower stalk, but never shot photos unfortunately.

Anyway, I am interested to see what the community thinks. Are they different enough from the available varieties, in your opinions? The breeding includes some crosses with typical, alba, and red leaf. This year I crossed my best ones with each other as well as with "Wide Leaf" to beef up the leaf size even more!

A selection from my F4 generation (right) vs. my typical D. capensis grown in the same conditions:

My two best mature F5s. "Red Leaf" is in the genetics to give a slightly darker reddish tint, which is more pronounced in higher light levels during summer. Also, if I stopped feeding them they would also redden. The petioles are much longer, as well as the leaf itself. Flower stalks grow nearly 1/3 higher and have larger flowers, too.

A direct comparison in size: F5s on the left, typicals on the right.

Sorry for the crappy shot, but these are my F4s about to flower:

Already in the F4s I noticed that leaves were getting pretty big, so for the F5s I crossed only the largest plants.

F4s again. Keep in mind these plants are only 2 years old!!



Flower scape and flower of my F5 selections (left) vs typical:

Flower of F5 selection (left) vs typical


I have a few good names picked out when I decide that a selection is different enough to merit listing.

 

[Joseph Clemens]

Excellent aspiration. Personally, I feel that the variations already common in cultivation, are certainly stable, and different enough to warrant registering as cultivars. Yet, only one cultivar from this species has been registered, Drosera 'Albino' or Drosera capensis 'Albino'. There is no "quality" imperative, for cultivar names, just the need for observable differences.

Selectively breeding, to increase size and other traits, is certainly a worthy endeavor, and, from the appearance of your results, already seems very promising as a source for additional cultivar registration worthy variations. Don't forget, in the past, there were also variations, with normal coloration, that had leaves narrower than the "typical" form. Perhaps the trait for wide leaves or narrow leaves could also be bred into the D. 'Albino' form, producing additonal cultivars of all-green plants, with white flowers

 

[jwalker]

Isn't there a giant already nice work either way. I've seen a crested form as well. I love the odd ball plants. I'm always looking for freaks

 

[Eric]

Very interesting results. Be sure to keep us posted!