S. oreophila var. ornata 'Sand Mountain MK07
Apr 12, 2016 13:05:15 GMT -5
sunbelle, clonem, and 13 more like this
Post by meizzwang on Apr 12, 2016 13:05:15 GMT -5
Spring pitchers on S. oreophila can be very dull and arguably boring to some. There was great hope that this exact clone was something special, but year after year, it produced just "normal" looking pitchers with very few veins and not much color. Rarely do S. oreophilas outdoors in full sun here in Northern California produce ornate and colorful spring pitchers, it's usually the summer and early fall pitchers that are the jaw droppers.
Well, This clone after several years hasn't ever produced anything note-worthy in the collection until now! It was shocking to see just how beautiful this "chameleon" is in all its glory!
I acquired this clone via a group order from Mike King, and a year or two later, due to the grey area of importing endangered species and a recent bust (due to clerical errors!), the organizer decided to no longer offer importing endangered species. The sad truth is that while the laws have excellent intentions and in many ways protect these plants, in many other ways, it's creating an artificially super high demand for them, which puts the remaining populations at higher risk. S. oreophila is ridiculously easily available in cultivation, but due to trade restrictions, it's very difficult and cumbersome to get the permits to ship them out of state.
To would-be poachers, if endangered S. oreophilas could be shipped across state line like non-endangered plants, it's actually more cost-effective to purchase cultivated plants than it is to buy a plane ticket, go the wild, pull out endangered plants (which are often stressed out or not in tip top shape like they are in cultivation), risk being jailed and fined, and then hope they make it. As mentioned earlier, cultivated plants are much stronger since they're babied, so they have a higher chance of survival than plants dug up from the wild. However, due to the current laws, some individuals are willing to go through that legwork since that's easier than figuring out the complicated laws to import them or send them across state line. Long story short, simple economics would protect these plants in the wild. Another solution is to make the process of acquiring a permit much easier, less costly, and less time-consuming.
I digress, here's S. oreophila var. ornata 'Sand Mountain' MK07, photos taken 4/12/16. I wouldn't be surprised if this is from DeKalb Co, AL:
They say Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but most eyes would find this beautiful:
It'll be interesting to see if this clone produces even more colorful traps mid summer to early fall...
Well, This clone after several years hasn't ever produced anything note-worthy in the collection until now! It was shocking to see just how beautiful this "chameleon" is in all its glory!
I acquired this clone via a group order from Mike King, and a year or two later, due to the grey area of importing endangered species and a recent bust (due to clerical errors!), the organizer decided to no longer offer importing endangered species. The sad truth is that while the laws have excellent intentions and in many ways protect these plants, in many other ways, it's creating an artificially super high demand for them, which puts the remaining populations at higher risk. S. oreophila is ridiculously easily available in cultivation, but due to trade restrictions, it's very difficult and cumbersome to get the permits to ship them out of state.
To would-be poachers, if endangered S. oreophilas could be shipped across state line like non-endangered plants, it's actually more cost-effective to purchase cultivated plants than it is to buy a plane ticket, go the wild, pull out endangered plants (which are often stressed out or not in tip top shape like they are in cultivation), risk being jailed and fined, and then hope they make it. As mentioned earlier, cultivated plants are much stronger since they're babied, so they have a higher chance of survival than plants dug up from the wild. However, due to the current laws, some individuals are willing to go through that legwork since that's easier than figuring out the complicated laws to import them or send them across state line. Long story short, simple economics would protect these plants in the wild. Another solution is to make the process of acquiring a permit much easier, less costly, and less time-consuming.
I digress, here's S. oreophila var. ornata 'Sand Mountain' MK07, photos taken 4/12/16. I wouldn't be surprised if this is from DeKalb Co, AL:
They say Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but most eyes would find this beautiful:
It'll be interesting to see if this clone produces even more colorful traps mid summer to early fall...