Nepenthes Alata from Gublers??

[Electric Carnivores]

So I was going to Lowes hard-ware to pick up some soil and other stuff for my cold chamber and i saw that they had a new order of Carnivoros plants Just the Gublers cp's with the 3 inch pot and the cup-dom over the top of the plant i know Gublers ORCHIDS some times has N.Alata from what they say i also have been told they sometimes have N. x Velvet but most of the time all i see is just Maxima hybirds and judith-Finn as well. But it was a full box of plants so i was first pick to them most of the nenpenthez in the box were all Maxima Hybirds from what i could see saw a judith finn too but in the back there were only two Nepenthes Alata with 3 inch pitcher's look very nice for gublers! they even were Taged with "N.alata" so i just think it was kool to see something diffent with gublers cause i have never seen alata in those cups before and i got the two plants for just "6.00$ even" each plant are good size with nice looking pitcher's they dont look like a typical gubler plant with tiny pitcher's there good size i mean 3 inch's for that brand is pretty good

::: Electric Carnivores :::

 

[colinliew]

I suspect they are N. x ventrata rather than true N. alatas.

 

[Darcie]

Isn't that illigal? To incorrectly lable a product like that?

 

[schloaty]

Darcie,
The truth in advertizing laws only require some rediculously low amount of truth. I'd say being 50% right more than covers it! You'd have a very tough time trying to proove that they were deliberatly trying to hoodwink ya.

 

[Electric Carnivores]

True alot of brand's like that do tend to miss lable porducts i think it could just be a N. x ventrata- but it doesnt look like the ventrata i have so i dont know its hard to tell at this time. Electric Carnivores

 

[Capslock]

You know, I got my healthiest, best growing N. ventricosa from an OSH store. Don't remember if it was Gubler's or not, but I think it might have been. This is the exception to the rule, however. If you want to be sure of a good plant, buy one from here or one of the more reputable places.

I think probably the plants are healthy when they leave those places, and really languish from lack of care once they leave the premises and end up in Home Depots and Lowes and such.

Capslock

 

[trashcan]

If the peristome is flared, then it is not alata, from what I understand. I used to buy Nepenthes from Japanese DIY stores, and they frequently had ventratas, and also (but rarely) had alatas.

 

[Beagle]

I don't know why that here in Florida, where a lowland nepenthes or hybrid has a fighting chance to survive outdoors for a couple years, I never find any for sale in regular nurseries. Most of the "tropical pitcher plant"(s) * I bought from Lowe's were ventrata (n. ventricosa x n. alata, I'm told) grown in Europe -- I'd wager. The other plants they were selling are commercially grown in bulk over there also: coccinea (n x (n x n)), whatever) and Miranda (n x mixta, or something).

The Europeans call our "ventrata", "alata". This was the answer to my first long confusing nepenthes ID question. Now my answer always is: "yes, that's a nepenthes all right."

*That's the best way to avoid any labeling problems. Be so general that it's useless.

 

[Trent]

Beagle, you've pretty much got it. I have never seen a true N. alata sold in a chain store (Lowe's or Home Depot). These plants are from tissue culture, and the number of wholesale nurseries mass producing Nepenthes can be counted on one hand. The only true alatas in tc that I know of are from sources like M.T., B.E., A. W. The mega-nursery in europe is marketing a ventrata to the world, with the label N. alata. I don't think this is done to purposely mislead, but more out of ignorance-the Home Depot shopper really doesn't know the difference between any two Neps, nor does he/she care.
If you want accurately labelled carnivorous plants, then buy them from a specialist nursery-we all know who they are

Trent

 

[Electric Carnivores]

See thats the thing the peristome isnt flared it doesnet have wings on the lip and has no hint of being a Ventrata no red-ish color and the form looks very much like Alata so well just have to see what happends all try to take a pic to see what u guys think Electrric Carnivores!

 

[Tony Paroubek]

3" pitchers are probably not big enough to show the difference between N. alata and N. Ventrata.  Even on mature plants it can be difficult to tell.  Odds are it is not N. alata and highly likely it is N. Ventrata or N. ventricosa.  

A picture would help including a top down view of the leaves.  N. ventricosa the leaf blade gradually tapers all the way down until it connects to the stem.  N. alata has a very clearly seen petiole with none of the leaf blade extending from it.  N. Ventrata is somewhere in the middle with a little more taper of the leaf margin but still reaching the stem so the petiole is not clear.  There other things to look for but some may not be seen until the plant is quite large.

Tony

I would also agree that in many cases identifying an unknown Nepenthes is an educated guess at best and should always be labelled along the lines of this:

N. Ventrata -?
or N. Ventrata - identified as
Something to indicate that it's identity was unknown at one point. The last thing we need is to add to confusion.

 

[goldtrap2690]

Nice deal you got Drew , i don't see plants labeled or that big from gublers but i'll have to agree with everyone else's opinion on the id even though it was labeled n. alata , i don't think its an n. alata . gublers get there nepenthes in tc from europe , same place where pft got there n. alata in those hanging pots . more liekly to be ventrata from the way the dutch people labeled there plants . please take pics though , i'd love to see the plants you got