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Hi,

This spring a gave my N. viking to a friend, that species is too fast and too big for me, and it likes plenty of full sun, that I don't have. At our Italian cp annual meeting I saw the same plant with 4 flower spikes.
Even if I'm planning to visit Thailand in January (including the Aopanga area where the Viking grows) I'm not sure if I will be able to find any flowering plant, also considering that not many people really know on which of the tens of the Aopanga islands the Viking is growing.

So if we can get some seeds and spread them all over the world using affordable nepenthes nurseries (Borneo Exotics and Wistuba are a good example, their plants from seed and tissue culture are everywhere) we could start some good conservation program, instead of relying only on adult specimens taken from the wild.

Nong, if you're reading: please try to get some seeds from the many clones of Viking you have, so we can easily repopulate the island and put this species on the market without further risk for the wild population!

Coming back to me: well, I've a male. Anyone with a female? I'll try to store the pollen, if that's possible.

Marcello
 
Hi Marcello,
From what I understand, Viking flowering season peaks in November in their native habitat. I know that Nong has at least four females and a whole bunch of males, so I'm sure generating seed in Thailand is no problem. Also, other collectors in Thailand have large collections, so the gene pool potential is very good.
Also, we have a female Viking. She's a very collectable "grade A" putting up a somewhat smallish flower spike, no doubt due to adjusting to life in Florida. We do not want her to stress, so for overall health, best she not bear seed pods this season. Next year we hope to breed with her by crossing a handsome male Viking onto her.
smile.gif
 
http://pollen.carnivoren.org/
 
Wow Marcello,
Let's hope someone will respond to you.
Finding another Nepenthes Viking in flower is not easy,but hope is the last to day. I also saw the plant in flower in Italy and I can assure you that she is very nice.I haven't pictures yet,but trust in my words.
See yah

Mr_Aga
Milan - ITALY
 
Latest news:

The Viking's owner was informed too late about the importance of his plant's pollen. Some of it has been used to make a cross with some N. mirabilis from Thailand (Krabi) and the rest has been probably washed away by the rain.

Anyway, we'll do our job next summer. In the mean time a male Viking will remain in the web list of the pollen donors.

Shigeo Kurata, who is describing N. Viking to give it a real name, will receive the 3 flower spikes of this male in a few weeks; this should help him to make the describing process a little bit shorter.

Marcello
 
Ok...what a shame...
Anyway I will give you my single effort ( others are also encouraged ) to check for other Nepenthes Viking Females in the next future.
If I will find one I will contact you.
Bye

Mr_Aga
Milan - ITALY
 
Marcello,
Any hints as to what scientific name Kurata wants to give it? So far, does he see it as a new species?
 
Actually in his first email I had the honour to know the name he's going to give, but I'm not sure if I can say it
smile.gif


He told me that I could say everything I wanted about his process of description, as I was the one who put this plant "back on the scene" with my website, after he received a small specimen in the year 2000 from Thailand, and nobody knew what it was and where it came from.

I would wait before saying the name just because I'm a little bit afraid of some bad luck...you know, saying things before they happen...I'll tell you that the name has to do with the pitcher shape, it's a very simple name...:)

Shigeo wanted to visit Thailand in the last months but he had some problems...He's still studying the flower, and in his last email he made me some questions about its sepals etc
Actually I don't know how important all this stuff is: I mean, once you say the shape, how big, how long are sepals, flowers, spikes, tendrils, leaves etc you're done. It will take some time, ok, but not months...
Anyway, I'm not a tassonomist, he is... A big problem must actually be having more than one specimen of the species, to check the "extremes" of the measures that you've to take. You need to go to Aopanga for a serious job. Maybe that's the only reason why it's taking so long. I asked Shigeo if he needed anything from Aopanga if I was so lucky to find the Viking site. I think he didn't understood, he just apologized because he wasn't able to go to Thailand. When I'll be there, if I will, I'll send him a few things...

He's sure (we all are, I think) it's a new species. But I've already seen some confusion going around on the web, that's the jinx of the indochinese Nepenthes !!!
N. viking has already been confused with a form of N. thorelii, a hybrid with N. rafflesiana (!!!) and a hybrid with N. ampullaria. Not many people seem to see how similar (almost identical) this plant is to N. mirabilis a part from the (adult) pitchers.
Marcello
 
Very interesting. Thanks.
 
  • #10
Hello,

Very interesting, but i don't really understand all about the Viking form. ( Cos i'm french maybe !
smile_n_32.gif
) but what you're saying here is that Nepenthes Viking is not the true name ? There will have a new name for this form ?

Thanks for your answer !

Greetings,

Kina
 
  • #11
Hi Kina!

well, plant's official names must be in latin. "Viking" is english. The name "viking" was given by the man who started taking cuttings of this plant from the wild to sell them - through other thai growers - at Chatuchak, the most famous thai market. The plants has been since then known around with this name, but it's not the official one. That's why we all call it "viking" using those two little symbols on the sides of the name. Because it's actually a nickname.
To know more, of course I would strongly suggest you to check Nepenthes of Indochina

Marcello
 
Last edited:
  • #12
Marcello,
That's good news that an official name will be put on the plant. Now I can register these plants from crosses I have done a few years back. Good luck in Ao Pang Na.
Truly,
Tom
 
  • #13
Hi,
is this plant a climber/viner? From the pics I saw it seems much more compact (stem) than mirabilis when it reaches flowering stage. How long have you grown the plant?
Thanks
 
  • #14
Hi,

it grew back from its roots, it flowered after 1-2 years after being cut back. It's about 40 cm high. The way it grows - like for other species - depends much on the amount of light. Low light levels will make it grow fast and high (but with less colour, pitchers and flowers), high light levels will make it grow more compact (shorter but with more pitchers and flowers).
Of course this is GENERALLY speaking.
Can I ask you where are you from?
Marcello
 
  • #15
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Marcello Catalano @ Oct. 16 2005,2:43)]Hi,

it grew back from its roots, it flowered after 1-2 years after being cut back. It's about 40 cm high. The way it grows - like for other species - depends much on the amount of light. Low light levels will make it grow fast and high (but with less colour, pitchers and flowers), high light levels will make it grow more compact (shorter but with more pitchers and flowers).
Of course this is GENERALLY speaking.
Can I ask you where are you from?
Marcello
Hi,
40cm is quite short right? DOes it begin vining or produce uppers before flowering? Sounds like a really fast grower
Anyway I am from Singapore, just south of Thailand abit, am thinking of getting some vikings too, but pretty expensive, but it should be a good investment right?
Thanks
 
  • #16
I think it just produced a few coiled tendrils with no pitchers and then flowered, but I'm not sure because I'm not growing the plant anymore since last spring.

I don't think it's a great investment, like any new species it's still very rare, but once the main world nepenthes producers will get some seeds or they will be able to work on some tissue culture material, considering how fast and easy the species is, the prices will go down very easily.
I'm going to Thailand in january hopefully, and if I find some vikings, that should already make a big change.

Fortunatly that won't even be negative fot the thai market, as I think that local people will find much easier to keep on buying plants from local nurserymen (of course at lower prices than the present ones) more than ordering small plants from Europe or Sri Lanka or Malesia or U.S. like we do.
In both cases the important is that all plants for sale are coming from tissue culture, seeds or cuttings and they were not directly taken from the wild. Please always make sure about that when you buy a plant.

In the case of VERY new species, plants taken from the wild in small amounts are still understandable (and yet not fair, correct or legal I think, and I was guilty at least once in my life for such a crime) if they are used to be propagated by the hundreds or millions by well equipped nurseries, as this will help the conservation of those same species in the wild. But if you can wait one year to have new species produced in a "politically correct" way at much lower prices, please don't take plants from the wild even if you have the chance to do it.

Marcello
 
  • #18
Here are a few pics of the female flowers

N.%20Viking%20flower%202%2010-22-05.JPG
 
N.%20Viking%20flower%201%2010-22-05.JPG


Here are a few pics of different pitchers.

N.%20Viking%2010-4-05.JPG


N.%20Viking%20for%20sale%20pitcher%209-20-05%20vivid%20red.JPG


N.%20Viking%20whand%2010-8-05.JPG


N.%20Viking%20pink%2010-4-05.JPG


N.%20Viking%2010-8-05.JPG


N.%20Viking%20whand%2010-22-05.JPG


These plants are still establishing, and not yet up to full speed yet. No two are the same.
 
  • #19
Beautiful pitchers. Beautiful species. Maybe you'll have the possibility to produce some seeds by yourself, these plants seem to flower quite easily. In that case don't forget a little present to the wholesale market
smile.gif

How is the "thorelii giant" going on?
Marcello
 
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