rainforestguy: N. alata Giant EP

[David]

rainforestguy
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N. alata Giant EP
« Thread Started on Jan 29, 2008, 2:31am »


This is an upper pitcher of this most sought after form. But when compared to other larger N. alata's, the other imparts a large size even as larger-larger than this form.

M
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Re: N. alata Giant EP
« Reply #1 on Feb 1, 2008, 8:51am »
Hi Mike,
I like. You are right, that form is not the most easy to find, though I know people have it.

Joe
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Re: N. alata Giant EP
« Reply #2 on Feb 2, 2008, 1:23am »
I believe growers around have their "giant" forms of this clone and recall Manny and Sunbelle having theirs as well. I find this form to be a wild grower, but tend to have wider internodes and wirey stems. A hybrid ep has made with their Luzon form has turned up some very interesting offspring.

These tend to make shorter internodes with large pitchers with good coloring.

M
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Re: N. alata Giant EP
« Reply #3 on Feb 2, 2008, 7:03am »
Very nice.
I think N. alata is under appreciated.
Unfortunately, and I do disagree with you that there is no place for tc(not that everyone does not prefer seed grown material)....
a lot of the alata problems stem from that DeGroose mass-prdouced tc plant that they call N. alata, that is really a ventrata.
It is a very nice ventrata, and the other things they have like miranda are great "bait plants" to entice new hobbyists. Unfortunately they are so secretive about the origin of their stock, they refuse to listen to those that have tried to tell them it's a hybrid.
If I had room( a lot of room) , I would have as much alata varieties as I could.

Cheers,

Joe
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Re: N. alata Giant EP
« Reply #4 on Feb 2, 2008, 12:51pm »
A genus as diverse as nepenthes needs to be expressed as individual SEED originals. There is just one clone of N. villosa, a few clones of rafflesiana, a couple clones of boschiana, and so forth. When is it justified to just represent an entire species with just these few clones? That's criminal to just allow these few clones to exist. It's as if these growers get to play God and tell you this is it or nothing. To me, just a single clone is nothing. There is way too much emphasis in just producing a single clone or few clones which are inferior to the whole. Today, we view a species as representative by a few tc clones which translate into nothing. We all feel that viellardia, madagascariensis, insignis, etc. etc. etc. are weak just being based on the worthless examples of these species in cultivation (tc clones). As of recent SEED germination, many seedlings have surpassed what we have known all along from tc examples of a "weak" species. tc is not the answer to all problems. It actually is a deterrent from what is good growing from plants that are fit and worthy to be propagated from. TC clones are ARTIFICIALLY grown to perfection regardless of how we would grow them in a cruel world. Your failures are not based on poor cultural conditions, but rather on weak artificially grown plants in controlled environments that so few of us are able to duplicate, hence the lack of huge success stories from every grower.

M
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Re: N. alata Giant EP
« Reply #5 on Feb 3, 2008, 3:57am »
Well, if you manage to get seed of all speices....you will be a a popular guy.
I have not seen seed grown examples of a lot of species..(hamata comes to mind..).

Cheers,

Joe


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Re: N. alata Giant EP
« Reply #6 on Feb 3, 2008, 6:19am »
Nepenthes culture has been around for quite some time. It shouldn't be unusual to have plants that are of breeding age by now. Unfortunately, plants like hamata that are around and in tc have all bloomed and are all males. (curiously, is it unreal that they are probably all the same clone?). In the current thinking, even if we never see a female hamata, we have the tc clone hamata (male) and if that species were ever to become extinct, well we still have that one clone. This does not settle well with me and the current thinking among growers is that it is good enough! If you are easily brainwashed to believe this, then you're not going to see the same thing I see. I don't believe that that just three plants of N. hamata was germinated. I do believe that due to the cost restraints in making a hundred clones in tc, that a random selection of just three was developed for the tc market. If anyone wanted to save a species, they would grow out every single seed germinated plant and grow them out to breeding maturity. Then males and females would be probable and we would not be in the dilemma we're in today.
Among the many small growers we see today, I feel strongly that between the collectors we have some of the genetic material to maintain true seed original species in production for a long time. Some growers such as EP have produced species clones that the other growers don't seem interested in producing. EP has clones of lowland veitchii, maxima, ventricosa, truncata, and some others. All seed grown all seed originals. What other supplier sells any of these in quantities as tc plants than these seed originals? If they do, I would like to know.

M
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Re: N. alata Giant EP
« Reply #7 on Feb 8, 2008, 1:25am »
So when does an alata become a "Giant"? How big does it need to be. Here is a large alata next to another one. Does this qualify as "Giant"?

I'd like to breed these, but they're both females. « Last Edit: Feb 8, 2008, 1:36am by srduggins »Link to Post - Back to Top Logged