Hi Everyone,
I was discussing this thread over dinner last night with my wife Michelle, who is quite the Nepenthes enthusiast and an expert grower in her own right. She is quite open minded where the hybrid “value” issue comes up. Together we came up with this somewhat long post, but it is based on observations we have had the privilege to make:
Here are some pics (please forgive, it’s our first attempt at posting photos here, hope it works).
These are two siblings of the hybrid I mentioned earlier N. [(northiana x veitchii) x Tiveyi]. (Tiveyi = maxima x veitchii) Out of four seedlings, we have two that have red peristomes and red spotting and two seedlings that have peristomes with yellow with red stripes and a pink/orange pitcher with green spotting. We have other crosses involving the same three species (maxima, northiana, veitchii) with even greater color variation. No, maxima or northiana is not dominant from what we have seen.
We also received a N. [(maxima x Mixta) x veitchii] x (northiana x veitchii) and it is not Mixta or maxima colored. In fact, it looks like a veitchii on steroids!
Considering that these are still seedlings, we expect that they will be spectacular as adults. We really don’t see how any of these are less pleasing to the eye compared to any of the root parent species. They are neither better or worse, just different. Some people may not agree, but that’s okay. Everyone has different taste.
We have many seedlings from complex hybrids. Out of three or thirty or fifty seedlings, each one is unique and has its own signature look. Sometimes a species three generations back will show its traits in one sibling more than the immediate parents. Hybrids with maxima or Mixta don’t always look like Mixta, nor do any of the seedlings look the same. We have another Mansell cross that is like nothing else we’ve seen. N. [(thorelii x Mixta) x sumatrana]. We have three siblings and all three are different. One is light pink, fat and squat with red spotting. Another is narrow and dark maroon. The third and largest has a waist rib like sumatrana, with a pink and yellow striped peristome, with dusty rose colored pitcher with purple spots.
Visitors of our greenhouse do not look at these plants as less spectacular than our species. Quite often they point and say “Wow!” to the hybrids first. Complex hybrids can be dull if the parents used are not superior. Sometimes primary hybrids can be dull… wait a minute… I’ve seen dull looking pure species! It does seem that the best hybrids come from superior species parents. It’s all in the eye of the beholder. If it’s not found in nature, it doesn’t mean it can’t be attractive. Not to say anything negative about species. I think line breeding should be done within the same species, even preserving the different varieties.
Seeing more than one or two seedlings from any complex hybrid, we know how many color and shape variations there can be. It’s like the wild west with Nepe nthes breeding right now. The territory is open and who knows what will come out of it.