chj93 Posted April 29, 2015 Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 Hi, Do any Sarracenia species have a 'life expectancy' of sorts? Or does the lateral growth of the rhizome and continued production of new growth mean that any given clone can just keep on growing indefinitely? Thanks, Chris. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ada Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 i still have my very first sarracenia,bought in 1991. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 This is something I have pondered myself. As the growth continues, new material and food reserves get laid down in the front end of the rhizome during the growing season, and the back end of the rhizome may or may not die back a little. Along with natural divisions, it would seem like the plants can last a long time. However, (taking current scientific knowledge) nothing can live indefinitely and plants, just as animals (including us humans) will expire without intervention. Even the slowest growing trees have a finite life expectancy. If Sarracenia have a limited life, this means that theoretically cultivars in their purest form (identical genetic material) could be permanently lost one day. However, as growers have cultivars from Adrian slack and the like dating back to the 70s, it seems as though Sarracenia do live in excess of 40 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ada Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 that reminds me, i have a dave taylor leuco clone from the 1970's too direct from Mike Brooks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luca B. Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 (edited) That's an interesting subject,does it means that one day all divisions of the same in clone will slowly begin to expire? Or when a division form and get divided from motherplants it's a "new life" so it's age starts from zero? Luca Edited April 30, 2015 by Luca B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredG Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 There are Lichen with an estimated age in excess of 9000 years and still going strong, if Lichen can be strong. I'm not so sure about a Sarracenia having a finite life expectancy.They are constantly renewing so in theory, barring a natural disaster* ( or human intervention) should live forever. * this includes climate or habitat change Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S Krelbourn Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 The creosote bush continually regenerates itself from the growing point and specimens have been recorded at over ten thousand years.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredG Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 (edited) ...........been recorded at over ten thousand years.... For recorded read estimated? Or I suppose it could be a recording of the estimation. Edited April 30, 2015 by FredG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manders Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 Theoretically plants over enough years/cell divisions lose the telomeres off the end of the genes, once theyre all gone its game over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredG Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 (edited) So the slogan has to be.... SLOW IS GOOD! Edited April 30, 2015 by FredG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manders Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 On the other hand i just read on wikipedia (which never lies) that theres an 80,000 year old tree... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killerplants4realz Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 A sarracenia from the 70s that is Amazing! Hope it grows until 2045. That is cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chj93 Posted May 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2015 There are Lichen with an estimated age in excess of 9000 years and still going strong, if Lichen can be strong. I'm not so sure about a Sarracenia having a finite life expectancy.They are constantly renewing so in theory, barring a natural disaster* ( or human intervention) should live forever. * this includes climate or habitat change Hi, I agree. Can I ask - if a ten year old mother plant (just using this as an example) was divided into quarters, all 4 new divisions wouldn't necessarily have biological material in them that was as old as 10 years would they? (Obviously excluding the pitchers). If that's correct then I can see what you mean about constant renewal so that in effect no plant/division really has a finite life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chj93 Posted May 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2015 This is something I have pondered myself. As the growth continues, new material and food reserves get laid down in the front end of the rhizome during the growing season, and the back end of the rhizome may or may not die back a little. Along with natural divisions, it would seem like the plants can last a long time. However, (taking current scientific knowledge) nothing can live indefinitely and plants, just as animals (including us humans) will expire without intervention. Even the slowest growing trees have a finite life expectancy. If Sarracenia have a limited life, this means that theoretically cultivars in their purest form (identical genetic material) could be permanently lost one day. However, as growers have cultivars from Adrian slack and the like dating back to the 70s, it seems as though Sarracenia do live in excess of 40 years. Interesting point about the cultivars. Quite thought provoking really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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