Albion Bog

[Forbes]

Here are some pictures I took on a trip to the infamous Mendocino County, California pigmy forest containing introduced CP. Sorry the pics aren't the best quality; I should've brought a tripod.

For more, point you browser to http://cppic.placegoblin.com/album40 (and instead of selecting the thumbnails to enlarge the images, click on the hyperlink below each image indicating the largest file size. The host imposes poor jpeg compression.).

[Guest Aidan]

Forbes - Infamous but interesting. Some fine Darlingtonia and a great clump of S.purpurea.

Do you know how this area came to be planted?

[Tim]

Hmm. Is Albion notorious or perfidious?

[Guest Aidan]

Definitely perfidious! :)

[Forbes]

I'm not sure why plants were first introduced. A few prominent Bay area CP enthusiasts began scattering seeds, IIRC, in the late '70s or early '80s. D'Amato wrote a glowing description of the location for the CPN in the late '80s or early '90s.

[TheCarnifreak]

It's a beautiful place!

Nice pics ;)

[sundewrex]

Hi Forbes,

Love to see your Pics

rex

[Sean Spence]

I noticed that the Drosera peltata var. foliosa plants have yet to come to terms with the northern hemisphere growing season. They are just emerging in the middle of the US summer. They are only just emerging down here in the middle of the southern hemisphere winter.

[JanW]

Those D. peltata grow outside in the USA? Interesting that it works.

Jan

[BobZ]

I noticed that the Drosera peltata var. foliosa plants have yet to come to terms with the northern hemisphere growing season. They are just emerging in the middle of the US summer. They are only just emerging down here in the middle of the southern hemisphere winter.

That is interesting. The summer climate at Albion might resemble the Australian winter -- or rather the plants at Albion are never subjected to a hot Australian summer. Albion is on the Pacific coast and receives abundant cool foggy summer days. The climate at Albion is similar to that in Eureka. The all-time maximum temp experienced at Eureka was 87F (31C) in 1993; the minimum 20F (-7C) in 1888. For August, the 30-year average maximum daily temp is only 65F (18C) and the average minimum temp is 52F (11C). So, I suspect that the Drosera peltata var. foliosa plants have indeed come to terms with the northern hemisphere Albion environment, but the cool summer fosters growth rather than dormancy. Just a guess.

[Forbes]

Did I mention that I took these pictures in January? It has taken a while to get them online.

Sean,

Please excuse my ignorance. How are you able to tell that the sundews are Drosera peltata var. foliosa rather than D. peltata merely by viewing my fuzzy pics of basal rosettes? I thought examination of seed testa was needed to make such a determination.

[Sean Spence]

Aaah January, that would explain it then.

When you have seen as many of the emerging rosettes as what I have over the years it becomes relatively simple to pick the difference. I guess you could say you gain an "eye" for them.

The rosettes of D. peltata var. foliosa are always an iridescent lime green colour and are more robust than other varieties of peltata. Often is can be difficult to distinguish the emerging rosettes of the regular D. peltata from D. auriculata, whereas with D. peltata var. foliosa there is never any confusion.