Various CPs

[Greg Allan]

I have been reduced mainly to visits to CPUK on my smartphone in recent months due to a variety of reasons. Such phones are not conducive to posting messages, less still photos. This weekend, however, I have found time to take some photos of a few of my plants that are looking interesting at the moment. First, Byblis (a few people have emailed me about plants and seeds over the last couple of months- I will get back to you very soon now that I have a little more time):

Large adult Byblis gigantea. The small plant on the left is interesting as it is not a seedling. It grew from a stolon-like root and it now seems to have developed a separate root system. I have not seen this before in any Byblis

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A closeup of the small plant- the old root from which it sprouted can be clearly seen:

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A couple of shots of B gigantea prey in varous states of digestion:

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Setocoris bugs which inhabit my B gigantea plants. These strange creatures seem to spend most of the day creeping along the leaves of the Byblis. When they sense danger, they scurry to the bases of the leaves. They are apparently impervious to the adhesive effects of the sticky mucus on the leaves of the Byblis:

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A large windowsill-grown Byblis guehoi starting to look good (it started life in a terrarium, but was moved to the windowsill in early May when a few cm high):

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A greenhouse-grown B guehoi. This also started life in a terrarium. I moved it to the greenhouse in early May. The greenhouse is unheated and usually has the door wide open, day and night. It is a little behind its counterparts on the windowsill, but it is branching nicely, so should look great in a month or so:

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A strange minature Byblis guehoi. It branches strongly, but has a compact form and tiny flowers. I am hoping to cross it with normal-sized plants and maybe obtain similarly diminutive offspring:

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Comparison in size- left to right- minature B guehoi, typical B guehoi, giant form of Byblis filifolia from the Pago area in WA:

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[Greg Allan]

Next, a few pygmy Drosera:

D gibsonii:

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D callistos- a wonderful plant that is really easy to grow if deep pots of sandy substrate are used:

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D citrina- not great, but the first time that I have seen this species in flower (actually taken a few weeks ago):

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Another of my favourite plants- D lasiantha:

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A few petiolaris-complex Drosera. I have added a little loam to the substrate this year. The plants seem to like it:

D petiolaris:

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D fulva (I think- I received it many years ago as D fulva. It has never flowered, so I cannot confirm the ID. It is a very nice form, whatever it is):

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D lanata- going from strength to strength grown in very dry substrate:

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The Queensland Drosera seem to look good at this time of year:

D schizanrda:

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D prolifera:

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Finally for the Drosera, my D regia in flower. The flowers are much larger than those of most Drosera, and each flower survives for several days. Also, the glands on the pedical and sepals remind me of Drosophyllum:

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[Greg Allan]

Some highland Nepenthes. I really like these plants, but I find the slow growth (compared with, say, Byblis) very frustrating. Nevertheless, my plants are coming on:

N glabrata- I like the colours (deep red and cream):

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N jamban- finally starting to assume the toilet-bowl shape:

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N talangensis- a fussy plant. The Ping-like sticky glands can just about be viewed at the back of the inside of the pitcher:

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N hamata- still small, but the sythe-like teeth on the peristomes are coming on:

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Finally, a couple of outdoor Pings in flower:

P spec. 'Rio Are' (or P grandiflora 'Rio Are')- a wonderful and easy plant:

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P grandiflora- common, but always impressive:

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Edited June 9, 2013 by Greg Allan

[corky]

very nice pics ,loving the byblis another plant i need to have a crack at growing

[SoLongFairWell]

Am I right in thinking a uk unheated greenhouse is too cold for Byblis or is it ok for the likes of guehoi as its an annual? Does it need heat to germinate or when young?

Edited June 10, 2013 by Richard Bunn

[Zlatokrt]

The large B. gigantea is really impressive, but the other plants are very well grown as well.

Congrats!

Adam

[gardenofeden]

Hi Greg. Great plants. What conditions do you grow your B.gigantea in? Specifically seasonal watering and temperature. I only seem to be able to keep it alive for a couple of years...

[Loakesy]

Lovely plants, Greg. What conditions do you need to grow D. schizanrda? I've always fancied giving it a try...

[Greg Allan]

Hi all,

Thanks for the comments.

Richard- I germinate B guehoi in a very warm and bright heated terrarium. Once the plants are a few cm in height, they can be moved from the terrarium. In fact, they do best in full sunlight. This species, although hailing from tropical Australia, seems to tolerate temps down to a few degrees- the weather, on the whole, has not been very warm since I put the plant in the photo in the unheated greenhouse.

Stephen- I grow the Byblis gigantea in a greenhouse that is heated to a few degrees above freezing in winter. Last winter, for the first time, I added some supplementary winter lighting (primarily for tuberous Drosrera). It is not necessary (I managed for several years without), but is beneficial, I think, for B gigantea. I also like to keep at least a couple of plants on a sunny windowsill over the winter in case the heater fails and the contents of the greenhouse freeze solid- this has, touch wood, not happened yet). I water using the tray system. In summer, I add a couple of cm of water a couple of days after the trays dry out. In the colder months, I add water every now and again so that the substrate is merely damp. I use tall hellebore pots for adult plants. The mix is a loose mix of about 1:1:1: peat, sand and perlite, with about 1cm of sand at the surface. This, I think, is important in respect of watering because the surface of the sand always appears to be bone dry, even when the pots are sitting in water. I have also recently started to experiment with adding a little loam to the aforementioned mix- the plants seem to appreciate it (as, I understand, do tuberous Drosera, which share similar habitats). Another thing that I have noticed is that if adult plants begin to decline, carefully repotting can revitalise them, especially when a little loam is added to the mix. I have begun to suspect that, in the long term, if few prey are captured, the plants begin to suffer from nutrient deficiency. Plants grown on a very sunny windowsill do really well for around a year, and then tend to decline gradually. Greenhouse-grown plants do not tend to suffer in the same way however, perhaps owing to the abundance of prey in the greenhouse.

Andy- I have found D schizandra surprisingly easy in certain conditions (and only in these conditions). I keep them on a NNW facing windowsill in a small unheated propagator (the ones that are about £5 from garden centres) with the vents closed or virtually closed. The substrate is pure long-fibred sphagnum (the sort that is dry on purchase and expands when water is added). There is a little live sphagnum at the surface. I keep the substrate damp, but not usually sitting in water.I have tried the species in heated terraria, greenhouse, under lights, etc, but the plants always die quickly. Conversely, I have grown the species in the propagator since 2010.

Cheers,

Greg

[Greg Allan]

Hi all,

Thanks for the comments.

Richard- I germinate B guehoi in a very warm and bright heated terrarium. Once the plants are a few cm in height, they can be moved from the terrarium. In fact, they do best in full sunlight. This species, although hailing from tropical Australia, seems to tolerate temps down to a few degrees- the weather, on the whole, has not been very warm since I put the plant in the photo in the unheated greenhouse.

Stephen- I grow the Byblis gigantea in a greenhouse that is heated to a few degrees above freezing in winter. Last winter, for the first time, I added some supplementary winter lighting (primarily for tuberous Drosrera). It is not necessary (I managed for several years without), but is beneficial, I think, for B gigantea. I also like to keep at least a couple of plants on a sunny windowsill over the winter in case the heater fails and the contents of the greenhouse freeze solid- this has, touch wood, not happened yet). I water using the tray system. In summer, I add a couple of cm of water a couple of days after the trays dry out. In the colder months, I add water every now and again so that the substrate is merely damp. I use tall hellebore pots for adult plants. The mix is a loose mix of about 1:1:1: peat, sand and perlite, with about 1cm of sand at the surface. This, I think, is important in respect of watering because the surface of the sand always appears to be bone dry, even when the pots are sitting in water. I have also recently started to experiment with adding a little loam to the aforementioned mix- the plants seem to appreciate it (as, I understand, do tuberous Drosera, which share similar habitats). Another thing that I have noticed is that if adult plants begin to decline, carefully repotting can revitalise them, especially when a little loam is added to the mix. I have begun to suspect that, in the long term, if few prey are captured, the plants begin to suffer from nutrient deficiency. Plants grown on a very sunny windowsill do really well for around a year, and then tend to decline gradually. Greenhouse-grown plants do not tend to suffer in the same way however, perhaps owing to the abundance of prey in the greenhouse.

Andy- I have found D schizandra surprisingly easy in certain conditions (and only in these conditions). I keep them on a NNW facing windowsill in a small unheated propagator (the ones that are about £5 from garden centres) with the vents closed or virtually closed. The substrate is pure long-fibred sphagnum (the sort that is dry on purchase and expands when water is added). There is a little live sphagnum at the surface. I keep the substrate damp, but not usually sitting in water.I have tried the species in heated terraria, greenhouse, under lights, etc, but the plants always die quickly. Conversely, I have grown the species in the propagator since 2010.

Cheers,

Greg

[SoLongFairWell]

Thanks Greg. If I can get a heated propagator I think I might give it a try as it's gorgeous.

When you say a heated terrarium do you mean that the plants have to be grown in it for a while until ready for the greenhouse or is it just for germination?

Edited June 15, 2013 by Richard Bunn

[amphirion]

your drosera fulva looks more like a dilatatopetiolaris or petiolaris to me...

here's my fulva for comparison:

and my dilatatopetiolaris:

gorgeous well-grown plants!

[amphirion]

your drosera fulva looks more like a dilatatopetiolaris or petiolaris to me...

here's my fulva for comparison:

and my dilatatopetiolaris:

gorgeous well-grown plants!

[Greg Allan]

Thanks for this. I have wondered about the ID of the plant, I have to say. It has never flowered, though, so I have no conclusive evidence either way. Also, the shape and hairiness of the petioles seems to vary dependent on the time of year. Below is a hastily-taken photo the same plant a coulpe of days ago, after a period of quasi-dormancy:

Edited January 6, 2014 by Greg Allan

[werds]

Maybe i am wrong but... Drosera paradoxa?

[Maik]

Hi,

D. petiolaris

Regards,

Maik

[Greg Allan]

Hi all,

It's definitely not D petiolaris. According to the key in Lowrie's CPs of Australia Vol III, the maximum petiole width for D petiolaris is 0.8mm. I've also read that D paradoxa has similarly narrow petioles. According to Lowrie, both D fulva and D dilatato-petiolaris are very similar and also very variable. The petioles of both species are 2.5-3mm wide. The only reliable means by which they may be distinguished is examination of the inflorescence. As the plant never seems to flower for me, I cannot determine which it is. I received it as D fulva, and I have not had reason to change the label, although I fully acknowledge that it could be D dilatato-petiolaris.

Greg

[Mad_Botanist]

I like the Nepenthes!