The Carnivorous PlantISSN tlto--440X Society Journal

Drosera palsacea, by I Vol. II Stan Lampard t Autum.n 1987 INDEX TO VOLUME 11 (1987) SPRING Article Author Page Utricularia 2 2 Propagating Ucric11lariaby cuttings Rob Dodds 3 New sourceCephaloius of C.P. 's.follicularis Paul Kerr 4-5 CephalowsLeaf-cuttings of Eric Schlosser 5 Unusual Holger Hennern 6-7 Utricu/aria seedminutissima germination Pat Moon An introduction to predatory fungi R. Fenn 8 Drosophyllum 9 new to cultivation Alastair Culham Russian roulette with R. Tilbrooke 14 Review - "Mosgrave Postliny" by Miloslav Studnicka Lois Glass 15 Review - "Carnivorous Plants of 15 Peninsula Malaysia and Singapore" Alastair Culham 16 ProblemsDrosera - Outdoor lovellae? bog-making Wim Lays 16 CarnivorousNepenthes algae? Paul Simons 17-19 LettersWhat is Alastair Culham in Danger? Robert Cantley 12 12 Link-up R. Tilbrooke 12 Problems A. J. Yetton 13 Escape Paul Kerr Reply to 'Ecology Sadness" Vic Raffells et al AUTUMN 21 Polypompholyx tenella 21 Dormancy Vic Smyth 22 Nepenthes,Growing from seed Nigel Cooper 23-24 Ecology and status of the Venus' flytrap Anthony Burgess 26 notes for beginners Alastair Culham 27-28 Reflections of Chelsea Malcolm Goddard 29 Australian tuberous sundews Stan Lampard 30 Inside the bladderwortHeliamphora Dr. Brian Fineran 32 ACaltha few tips for beginners Chris Roper 33 SphagnumSome thoughts on Robin Brown 33 is not carnivorous Paul Simons moss and Garden pools R. G. McBurne 34-35 One collector's pestsUcricularia - reniformis 36 and their treatment Lois Glass The cultivation of Alastair Culham 37 Review 'Insects and the Plant Surface' by B.E. JuniperSarracenia and T.R.E. Southwood Paul Simons 31 SarraceniaProblems, answered by Alastair Culham 31 Shrivelled pitchers J.E. Scott 32-33 flowering Paul Kerr Making epiphytic utricularias flower Gareth Davies 25 Letters 25-26 Radiation and mutant plants Andrew Pattie Ditto Paul Hills ADMINISTRATION Secretaries: Dudley and Margaret Watts, THE CARNIVOROUS PLANT SOCIETY 174 Baldwins Lane, Croxley Green, Herts. WD3 3LQ. Treasurer: Tony Mil)yard, 16 Smithland C.ourt, Greens Norton, Towccster, Northants, NN128DA. 1 Seed Bank Organi1er: Mark Dunsford, 20 Spenser Close, Royston, Herts. SGS 5TB. Librarian & Malcolm Goddard, Show Secre,ary: 24 Osbourne Road, EDITOR'S NOTES Brentwood, Essex, CM15 9LE. I "Can you help me answerof this question?" Link-Up and: Lisa Abbott and Graham McKenzie, Many of you write in asking for a problem page, but 1 hardly receive any Plant Search: 689 Hertford Road, problems! As said in the last edition the Journal, a problem page could Freezywater, become a regular feature, but it needs your effort to write in before we can Enfield, answer the questions. EN3 6NH. It also needs your effort to write in with any sort of article. As you can sec from this year's Journals, we havevery a great deal of fairly academic pieces, but Editor: Paul Simons, from past experience most members probably want more practical articles. 37 lfield Road, Unfortunately my speciality is academic, so I rely on you to send in London, growing tips, news, problems, illustrations. SWIO 9AX. We've done okay this issue - please don't slacken offl!! Exira committee Alastair Culham, Member Eldcrtrtt C.Ottage, Tenth Anniversary Barrack Lane, And your suggestions would be welcome for next year, our I 0th anniversary Great Waltham, (despite the misleading Journal number, the Carnivorous Plant Society was Chelmsford, originally created in 1978). I'd certainly like to hear from long-standing Essex, members about what progress the Society has made. But how would you like CM3 IEP. the Society to develop? As always, I'm looking into the possibilities of colour illustrations for the Journal, particularly foran anniversary issue, so your very best photos would be much appreciated. Scanning electron microscope photograph of the inside of the bladder trap of Hope to have your .readership next year. U1ric14/aria monanthos, by Dr. FrontBrian A.Cover Fineran, Reader in at the r.s. Docs anyone have good drawings/photos of insects and other animals University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand (reproduced courtesy caught by carnivorous plants??? of the /srael Journal of Bo1any - first published in vol. 34, pp 29S-330, 1985). ALSO NEXT ISSUE: Sec 'Inside the bladderwort', p. 29. !!"

"The Fastest Fungus in the West Printed by: J. M. Lltho Services. I5f North End Road, Wlf 9PR. 20 QThe Carnivorous Plant Society 1987 DORMANCY ECOLOGY AND STATUS OF THE VENUS' FLYTRAP by Vic Smyth, Newark, Nous. by Amhony Burgess, Bartle, Ease Sussex. (Thi., ar1icle wasfirsi s11b111i11ed in ,.1 ,·ep()rf /(> 1he British c·cological Society) Dionaea Many of the plants we grow have a dormant period during the year and many have been lost (including my own) because of lack of knowledge on the subject. is found growing wild mainly in the south-eastern coast'Jl plain of In their habitat it happens because the growing conditions have changed, too North Carolina and north-eastern South Carolina, Its endemic nature is hot, too cold, too dry and so on, but a change there has been. As a grower you thought to be due to a unique soil composition at these places. Generally it's can bring about such a change, when your plant, which has been growing well found in wet bog andDionaea drier savannas. decides it is time to rest, and so it dies down. Some plants stay green in What I set out to do was co find out whether any indicator species could be dormancy and there is no great problem, because if it's green we know it will found - that is, if can be located in an area by finding some other return at a later date and leave it at that. But it's not these plants I refer to - it's Dionaea.species always associated with it, just as heather is an indicator of acid soils. The the ones that lost their mucilage first, then the lower leaves turn brown, then obvious application of this would be in the identification of Venus'new sitesllytrap for Droserathe top leavesmadagascariensis, and that's it,D. it's aliciae gone - but has it? D. trinervia, D. South in habitat Africa,Let me D. giveglabripes, you a D.short hilaris, list ofD. the lovellae, plants D.I have macaw,� found D. to arctun� go into D. dormancy: regia, D. Stephen Williams cistiflora 'Highland Red', cour!csy of Science

- that's enough to be going on with. So the leaves have turned brown and the plant has dwindled to nothing or just a small stub. Firstly remove the pot from the water tray as soon as it is realized all is not well. Leave the pot under the bench and check it weekly. When the top of the compost is dry, stand it in an inch of water for a few minutes, just to make the bottom of the pot moist (that's where the roots are and it's these that require a little moisture until the time comes for the great return, Oh happy day). Do not give enough water to wet the top of the compost - better too little, than too much in this case. Carry on the treatment until a new shoot appears. Or if it is warm enough after the plant has been dormant for about four months, and still no shoots, then stand the pot in the water tray and leave it there for a few months, when usually a shoot appears, if not remove the pot and repeat the process. On occasions I have tried for twelve months and forgotten about the plant, when I see a shoot growing well and it's probably been there weeks. But don't A number of sites were randomly studied and the data fed intoDionaea a computer, give up too soon - some plants are relunctant to return, and when they do they Dionaea grow very slowly. But it's the joy of saving a rare plant that counts, well worth which was programmed to find any natural clusters of plants. The results the trouble. showed that there was no natural groupings of plants of which was a part. was also found occupying areas where clearcuttingDionaea or heavy Good Growing logging had taken place, and frequently along roadsides, and even in the furrows made by tractor wheels. All these points suggest that is an opportunist plant of restricted habitat - in ocher words, the plant Dionaeabecame GROWING FROM SEED. established wherever a gap may occur in a bog or savanna area. These gaps are by Nigel Cooper, Morden, Surrey. usually created by fire, so one of the reasons for the decline of POLYPOMPHOLYX TENELLA populations is the suppression ofDion.aea man-made fire. Gaps arc also created by . disturbances, such as the tractor wheels. This delightful miniature is a perfect asset for any collection of C.P. 's. It is in It was also shown that where hasDrosera been established imermedia in a habitat, it fact very simple to grow from seed. Scatter the seed on a compost consisting of tended to be found on flatter ground, and distinctly 'avoided' depressions moss-peat, with a generous sprinkling of horticultural sand. Now stand the pot where water collected. On the other hand, was found in in a tray of water and place it in a sunny position. Germination will usually° ° greater abundance in these depressions. So both plants can coexist together by P. multifida. occur in 3-6 weeks. In my experience this plant likes a temperature of 60 -70 Asmallscale ck11owleclg spatialeme11ts separation. They probably have to do this since they are Farenheit. It will need to be raised from seed annually. The flowers of this competingI woulJ lik(" for co thank the sameQueen resources,Mary College: of and which the British insects Ecological are one. Sociccy for sponsorship. species differ from They are a pinky-white colour and are about 4mm in length. There are a couple of flowersto each spike and these normally open one-at-a-time. Even though it is small, I thoroughly recommend it to any IS DIONAEA ON THE VERGE OF EXTICTION? one. Continued next issue:

21 22 NEPENTHES, NOTES FOR BEGINNERS by Alastair Cu/ham Nepenthes growing is still a little practised art and many people are missing out on one of the most fascinatinggroups ofC.P., after of course, that is available. The species are split into two groups, on temperature requirements: the "Lowlands" and the "Highlands". Both groups offer a large diversity of form but their requirements are different. The highland species are generally slow growing but very rewarding when established. These are better species for the beginner as they will not rapidly° outgrow° their space. . Ideally they need a night temperature around 10 and 30 . Light levels should be 40% shade in summer and no shade in winter. It is . -;I I vital to keep a high level of humidity, otherwise pitchers will not develop. .._ - .-- Humidity is maintained by enclosing the growing area, keeping the floor wet, '· I filling the growing area with vegetation (pot-plants, ferns etc.) but not by standing the pot in water.

Ncpemlies alaia Nepewhes mimbilis j. echino.<1011w

i\11 illustrations by Alastair Culham

...... l\:'i.•pcnrJu.•s cunpnllaria , Nepen1hes khasiana

(speckled form)

A number of composts have proved suitable for growing the highland species and all of these are wellSphagnum drained. The compost I use is one part peat to one part vermiculite. Plants are kept in pond-plant baskets to improve drainage. A top dressing of improves the appearance of the pots and increases the local humidity. Frequent watering improves theN. growthhhasiana, rate N. of stenophylla,the plants asN. it alata,seems N. to vencricosa wash out toxinsN. ffromusca. the compost and improve aeration. Suitable 'Highlanders' for the beginner are and The lowland species are much cheaper° to buy° but are more expensive to grow as they require a temperature of 25 -30 C. day and night, throughout the year. All the lowland species are fast growing and can put on one or two metres of growth in a year in good conditions. None of the lowlanders will grow for long in a terrariumwill unless they are cut back at regular intervals. Nepemhes rajflesi,ma ,,, .... Composts and watering are essentially the sameN. rafflesiana, as for highlanders, N. gracilis, but many N. }\lepe111hes renrricosa ofampullaria, the species N, albo-marginatatolerate standing N. in mirabilis.water, in a watering tray or the like. Suitable species for the beginner are 23 and Thus radiation can only mutate seeds or embryos since any existing plant or animal matter can only be damaged. However, lam unsure about the effect on leaves or flowers when they are in 'pre-natal' form within the rhizome since I am an electrical engineer and not a botanist! These are just my theories based on what I've learnt about radiation effects Letters on humans. I would be interested if anyone can find published evidence giving more details about these effects. Paul Hills REFLECTIONS OF CHELSEA by Malcolm Goddard

RADIATION AND MUTANT PLANTS l f you don't know of the Chelsea Flower Show, let me tell you that it is one of the biggest flower shows in the world. Set up by the Royal Horticultural Society in the grounds of the Royal Hospital at Chelsea, it includes the largest marquee in the world, in which we stage our exhibit. Dear Editor, The Carnivorous Plant Society has been privileged to play a part in every Jn response to Vic Raffells interesting article in CPS Newsletter No. 2 1987, Chelsea since our formation in 1978. In the early years, we showed our plants in concerning the possible effects of the Chernobyl disaster in the north of the a 'natural' bog setting, but later progressed to more ambitious projects. In country and the occurrence of mutations in carnivorous plants. 1981, for instance, we covered the stand with alternate strips of black and white I have a Venus Fly Trap which this year produced two traps on a singJe leaf cloth and dressed the plants likewise, giving one the impression of standing stalk. I have severed this close to its base and am currently attempting to around a giant chess board. propagate a new plant from the cutting in the hope that, if it roots, it will grow In diverting from the 'accepted' traditional C.P.'s, we ventured into the more of these 'forked' leaf stalks and retain its genetic mutation. alternative scene in 1982. Aided and abetted by Paul Simons' expert knowledge This plant has also been receiving rainwater from a greenhouseonly gutter, and as on the subject, we took a closer look ar potential new C.P.'s, those with the I also live just within the area affected by Chernobyl, it is an eerie thought that power to trap prey, or those that showed promise. Looking more like a fruit this mav be due to radiation from fall-out. However as long as it affects the stall with our long, thin stand, we loaded up with teazels, petunias, bromeliads, plants �nd, in addition, results in fascinating mutations �uch as this, then I saxifrage and all other kinds of possibles (see Paul Simons excellent work don't particularly mind (such events would only therefore add mterestmg "Meat Eating Plants") and won the acclaim !?!! of the RHS judges, who variations to existing species). awarded us the Floral award (alias the 'Booby Prize'!) Andrew Pattie. 1983 brought distinguished Royalty to the stand. Princess Anne found herself introduced to a Venus Fly Trap by Lord Aberconway (then President RHS) but declined to insert her Royal finger, much to the disappointment of 'Yours Truly'. Mind you, I had my hands full with a blonde Princess from across the water and having difficulty trying not to bow and curtsey at the same time, whilst explaining that I grew weird plants for fun. Pinguicula Dear Sir, grandijloraChelsea always brings its surprise visitors (or loonies as I prefer to call them), Regarding Vic Raffell's mutant plants, . two years ago (ie_ be!ore the none more so than the lady from Surrey who insisted that she had Chernobyl disaster). I had a Venus Flytrap with two_tr�ps sproutmg fro1!1

The most frequentcomments I've heard about the West Australian tuberous sundews is that they are hard to grow, reluctant to flower,and that seed doesn't germinate. Why should this be so? One answer is by looking at it not froman horticultural point of view, but from an evolutionary one. Carnivorous plants usually exist wherever there is a combination of permanently wet and nutrient deficient soils. It's relatively easy to reproduce this combination in the greenhouse, hence the majority of carnivorous plants, especially sundews, are readily grown. dry. Western Australia is slightly different, though.Drosera, The soils there are sandy and impoverished, but for most of the year it is very And yet this area is well known for the number and diversity of species of many showing forms and lifestyles which are quiet unique. Clearly, the 'carnivorous syndrome' is ideally suited to the poor soils, but how did they come to survive with little water? Australia has experienced continental drift, bringing it gradually closer to the equator. So the climate has changed from temperate wet to subtropical dry. Seasonal drought and periodic bush fires have combined with nutrient deficient soils to form an extremely harsh combination of environmental conditions. Drosera And this change explains how 'ordinary' sundews evolved into the special Western Australian species. The ancestral Australian must have adapted to the changingDrosera environment, erythrorhiza otherwise they would have become extinct. The life cycle of illustrates how the problems of seasonal drought and bush fire have been solved. In common with many other West Australian species, the plant survives the dry summer by retreating back to a tuber several centimetres below the ground, to cooler and moister depths. Vegetative growth is resumed following the rains, which permit the plant the luxury of secreting water in the form of mucilage to trap prey. To do this during the dry season would be a costly mistake, wasting water, and at a time when few insects are available. The winter rains promote abundant vegetative growth, and also allow the decay of leaf litter, in turn supporting a plentiful supply of invertebrate prey to be trapped and consumed. Bush fires play a very special role indeed. As they sweep through theDrosera bush, combustinge,yihrorhiza all organic matter above ground, a flush of mineral nutrients in the formof ash is released into the soil. Fire is taken as the cue to flower by and many other herbaceous perennials of the bush. These plants take advantage of the temporary abundance of soil nutrients, using them to offset the expense of producing flower and seed. Tuberous Sundew The second consequence of fire is the reduction of leaf litter and organic Drns�ra ,,111ric11lata. by Stan l.arnpard Droseramatter, erythrorhizathus there will be little food or shelter for invertebrates. Prey for sundews becomes very scarce for the few seasons following fire. Fresh seed of and others will not germinate, having an inbuilt dormancy lasting for two or three years. This delay ensures that the seeds germinate only ReferencesSuch adaptations are critical to the survival of the plants in the wild, and add after sufficient leaf litter has again accumulated, giving protection to the young to the fascination& J. ofCarnivorous growing f'lamthem Newsle/ler in cultivation. plants and yielding plenty of prey once again. Lampard, S.E. Camivorous f'lam Society ]oumal, vol. JO, Autumn 1986. 27 Dixon, K. W. Pate. no I, March 1980. 28 INSIDE THE BLADDERWORT A FEW TIPS FOR BEGINNERS by Chris Roper

by Dr. Brian Fencran, University of Canterbury, New Zealand. U. reniformis, U. longifolia, U. ca�ycifida U. nephrophylla, Of the tropical Utricularias I keep and and if there is anything I have learnt during the time I haveU. beenreneformis keeping them, it is do not be put off by the high temperature requirements stated in most CP books. } is very tolerant. Mine went down to a few degrees aoove freezing for a week last year and during the rest of the winter they were seldom above 60 degrees Farenheit. During this period they grew at the same > tremendous rate as during mid-summer. I grow mine in a moss peat based compost with a little sand, perlite, orchid mix (bark, charcoal and perlag) and chopped sphagnum. Experimentation may show most of these 'extras' are not necessarv. I don't like to stand them in water trays, instead I preferto pour water onto tl;e compost every few days and let it drain through. When I find that I have to use a tray I only stand it in about I cm of water. Drosera adelaeRecently Pinguicula I have been prirnu/zflora experimenting Utricularia with different composts for species normally grown in pure sphagnum moss. To date I have planted up and in the compost mentioned above., andDrosera all are Ji/if doingor mis just filiformisas well. The trap was cut dov.:n its length, and reveals numerous quadrifid (4-headed) glands on the inside of the bladder wall, except for the trapdoor (d). These The worst problem people seem to encounter when growing this species is in glands pump water out of the trap, creating a vacuum. When the trapdoor is sprung open, Lhe vacuum sucks in water and prey into the trap. The door then overwintering. I seem to have overcome this by doing the following. shuts and seals the animal inside. The same glands then secrete digestive juices First I make sure that the plant is plamed on top of a mound of compost. I and absorb the prey. start to dry them out when all their leaves are dead. Over winter I give them little or no water so that the compost never becomes completely dry, but the hibernacula neverget damp. The pots are stored in a light, dry place that never drops below -7 degrees C, but never goes above to 50 degrees C for more than a few hours. When the weather starts to brighten up in mid-Spring I begin to water around the plants, gradually increasing the water over the weeks. Unfortunately there are no hard and fastDrosera rules and most of the above is 'played­ by-ear'. This D.year whittakeri, I decided D. to bulbosatry tuberous D. erythrorizafrom seed. After reading stories of seed taking 2-3 years to germinate I was ready fora long wait. So far all of my seed of and has germinated after only 5 months! Is this normal for these species?

ERRATUM Drosera lovellae? sparhularn D. spaculata. Scanning <.'kctron microscope phoro of dissected trapdoor. In the article in the last issue of the Journal, "What is Alastair Cu/ham.", all rdcrences to D. should have read

i\11 illustrmions reproduced courtesy of the lsr,,el Jo11rnal of Borany)

29

30 Reply incu arza . PROBLEMS The mechanisms controlling fl owcrmg· · m U · I h ave b not een stud' 1c d in any detail. There are a number of possible control mechanisms. <;> Daylcngth is a common factor cont:ol!ing fl -.�ering, but bladderwoUmculana�ts from alpi11a I I the tropics are probably day-neutral �1c: msens1t1vc to the_ hours ?f daylt�ht), �s they would experience little or no vanatt�n ofda ylength m th� �\'tld. This is your chance to get expert advice flowers throughout the year, and 1s certamly not sensitive to day length. from Alastair Cu/ham on any growing problems f-rom mv own observations, the density of stolons in the substrate may be a or queries you may have. controlling'U1riculariafactor, ,:emformis though this might be a spurious correlation. The diameter of Either write to the editor, the stolons may be more important. and U. longifolw, or directly to Alastair. Dowered for the first time for II_1e. in three yea.rs. I haven't changed the pot or the compost, but have grown tt m _a p�ogress1vin�ly colder sunnier environment. I have never flowered but th k the plant is still far too small . Mosr of.' hese cpiI?hytcs nee9 plenty of space to SHRIVELLED SARRACENIA PITCHERS build up larger stolons before flowering, and 1t 1s rare Jor the space to be available in a greenhouse. S. flava, I bought mv first carnivorous plant from Marston Exotics five years ago. It Much more research needs to be done before this question can be properly was a yellow trumpet. Up until now it has grown well, producing an:.wcrcd. pitchers up to 24" long. I have maintained it consistently, re-potting as well as feeding it, and growing it on a south-east facing window This year, howeve_r, it produced pitchers of the same length, but they dt?n ;t open, and they Just became shrivelled and twisted. Please could you advise as to what I should do next? SOME THOUGHTS ON HELIAMJ>HORA by Robin Brown, Cambridge Reply Mr. J.E. Scott, Chemlslord, Essex. Sarrace11ia Sarracenia Anyone Heliamphorawho has grown nura11s SP.CCics from seed will have sc n the A common cause of twisted pitchers in is attack by greenfly. � formation of what 1 will term "juvenile" pitchers. This type of pitcher 1s also pitchers, causing cells to stop growing in These insects attack the very young Darli11gco11iaformed by cahfornica when a new crown first de, elops, show_ing the various places, producing twisted growth. As the leaf grows, the greenf1y tend : close family relationship betweenHeliamphora _thcse gener . Inte_rc m_gly, seedl ngs of to die off. _ � . �� � produce quite differentHeliamphora Juvenile nwans pitchers which canqr Other less common causes arc: root damage; temporary drying up of the only be compared to adult pitchers. compost during pitcher development; very low humidity; scorching by the H. maans sun; or damage by some insecticides. It is thought that the Oxfordclone of is in fact sterile. SARRACENIA FLOWERING the numerous flowers I have tried to pollinate, I can report no success. It 1s My po sible H.that maans can only be p()liinated by a geneticallyfew dissimilar plant, thus rendering clones useless for Heliamphora,this purpose. If anyone has more than one Is it true that sarracenias nower every year? own plants f1ower when they clone of they can test this theory. I do kn�w that a member� �an arc mature, but never flower a second year. boast more than one species111 of which opens up the excttmg R�fy Sarraceniapossibility of hybridization. Perhaps if this cour ofaction Heh amphorais successful, any Sarraceniu Paul Kerr, \X'hitlcy Bay, Northumberland... _ �: � new hybrids may appear years to com�. I hese may_ well be f�rttle as hybridsnwans are. I look forward to the ttme when will at last I kalt.hv plants of do flowcr every year. Plants that f1ower m one make its welcome appearance in the seed bank list. year, and'not the next, arc usually in poor conditions, either lacking adequate I grow my H. (Oxfo d) in dap led unlight, filling the itchers with light, or in unsuitable compost. � p � y MAKING EPIPHYTIC UTRICULARIAS FLOWER Baby Bio solution monthly. Fine rose pmk pitchers ar� now _bcmg produc�d. The compost is a 50/50 mixture of sphagnum and pcrltte which I water twice daily, misting gently at these times also - be!ng careful _not to overfill the pitchers by this method as the roots may not hke Baby 810! Does anrnnc know how to persuade the cpiphytic utricularias to flower? My thanks to Lois Glass, John Pcndlebury and Dudley Watts for inspiring It's all \'�rv well for the experts to say that the plants are "shy to flower", but this article. surely there 'is some triggering mechanism behind the regular flowering? Do thcsc plants 11owcr in tJ1e wild? If we km:w this, we could reproduce the same conditions. 32 31 Gareth Davies, Rugby, Warwickshire. CALTHA IS NOT CARNIVOROUS by Paul Simons ONE COLLECTOR'S PESTS - AND THEIR TREATMENT by Mrs. Lois Glass, Worthing. Brocchinia. Triphyophyllurn The search for new carnivorous plants is getting quite hot. In recent years we've had the b:omeliad and the tropical liana 1987 has been an unusual year in my small collection of plant carnivores - added to the carnivorous plant hst. But one of the most tantalisingThe possibleCarnivorous new more pests than usual, and a bigger variety! So I will detail those I have Plamsplant carnivores has now proved a disappointment.The Botany of the Antarctic encountered and the methods adopted for dealing with them. I have few close V,oyageFrancis Lloyd cited in the opening chapter of his book contacts with whom to discuss problems, so that I am virtually dependent on Caltha (1942)d1oneaef Siroha, Joseph Hooker's expedition Dionaea, the available literature, and a carry-forward of useful experience from my 3 (�847). Hooker f?und an herbaceous plant in Tierra del Fuego called decades of cactophily, where this can be useful. which had a remarkable resemblance to the Venus' Oytrap. The leaf was divided into two lobes, covered at the margins Scale insects with coarse 'teeth'. I have seen these only twice, each time brought in on plants from outside: Callha one a cactus nursery, and the other an exchange-plant. In each case the The s�ecies belongs to the Buttercup Family, , none of which creatures were still immature, so that the carapace was still soft. A rub over are carmvorous. Indeed the Ranunculaceae is not related to any carnivorous with a finger-nail will then remove most of them, and a follow-up is advised family. So the discovery of carnivory in would have been something with a cotton-wool bud (taken from baby's nursery!) dipped in methylated remarkable. spirits and swabbed over the affected surface, while a few drops of the meths Bu� Danny Joel at the Argricultural Research Organisation in Haifa re­ onto the mesh of stem-bases sees to anv hidden offenders. Observe closelv and . examined specimens collected by Hooker. He revived them in lactic acid and repeat the treatment a few days later. For hardened adult scale insects I kn�w of it founc� that t�e lo?es . were. covered "Y � stomata ('breathing' pores), wi{hout no alternative to a systemic insecticide, a thing I have never yet dared to use on any sign of d1gesttve Juices or other liquid secretion. And the formidable teeth my carnivores, and only turn to with great reluctance on any other plants - were simply toughened hairs covered by a thick skin. potential damage to human health, and the recognised problem that resistance The Botanicalmoral of Journal this storyof ihc Linneanis, don't Society, be taken inp. by appearances alone! is soon built up in the invading hordes. ReferenceThe Carnivorous Plants. Joel, D. vol 90, 243. Mealy bug Lloyd, F.E .. Chronica Botanic;1. Waltham, Mass. 1942. reprinted hr I have seen only once, from that offending nursery - and the meths. Dover Pubhcauons. treatment works wonders, as it does on cacti. Drosera Aphids/White fly Dionaea. In my experience these quite often attack the flower-stemsof species as well as the petioles of Our invaluable adviser, Adrian Slack, suggests the use of the sundews' own "goo" but for once I find his proposal Send membership renewals to ineffectual. Instead DroseraI go again to the mcths. can or, if pushed for time, I remove Dudley and Margaret Watts. the Dionaeas well away from any Droseras, and use Py-spray, a pyrethrum­ Please make cheques or postal orders based insecticide. dislike this treatment but other CP's appear crossed and payable toco indifferent to Py-spray, while the aphids etc. die. I also like, but have not yet Carnivorous Plant Society. tried, a remedy suggested to me by a visitor - dunk the affected plant completely for an hour - does the plant no harm, but kills the insects! I am all for ecologically-undamaging cures! Incidcntially, this is the first season when I have found aphids appearing on SPHAGNUM MOSS AND GARDEN POOLS new growth in the allSarracenias, although only late in the season. The above­ by R.G. McBurne, Barwick, Lanes. mentioned treatments can all be used, but remember that vigilance is always the key-word with pests.

I find that a garden pool is a very useful source of freshmoss. Most pools are Small caterpillars Sarracenia rubra Species unknown, and never left to to see if they grow larger! Appeared last made with. ledges, which arc good for growing marginal plants in perforated baskets Just below or at water level. Sphagnum moss in these baskets hides year for the first time, exclusively on (2 plants, side by side), them from view, giving a greatly enhanced appearance and also a constant both smallish plants. The tips of the growing pitchers were chewed, and of supply for growing carnivorous pla�ns in my greenhou�e. And you can also course grew deformed. I suspect the caterpillars had developed inside the incorporate some of the hardy carrnvorous plants in a natural setting in the pitchers, where there appeared to be a slight web, and where one such nuisance garden pool baskets. was actually found. Others were inconspicuously placing themselves in the vertical along a grooveSarracenia of the pitcher. I use brutal physical methods - remove and kill the offenders as and when found. This year the nuisances appeared on 33 one or two other plants, but I have no further comments to offer.34 THE CULTIVATION OF UTRICULARIA RENIFORMIS Sarracenia by Alastair Cu/ham Captive insects Chewing their way out of pitchers - I have several times found U .. reniformis holes where some aggresive captive had obviously managed to eat its way back to freedomand I was interested when the keen plantsman-husband of a feUow­ I have been growing f?r four y�ars _with varying d�grees of CPer suggested that it was bees which had escaped thus. I had seldom seen bees success, but this year have succeeded m tlowermg 1t for the first time. My captured, and always suspected that thoseSarracenia tough and aggressive creatures, initial assumption on receiving this plant was that it required hothou�e wasps, were more likely candidates. And now I can prove it! Just after that conditions with high humidity, moderate shade and constant warmth. This friend's comment, I found a hole in a pitcher, with the head of a does induce rapid growth in the plant, but it becomes rather leggy, and the wasp (dead) projecting; presumably it had exhausted itself in escaping! My leaves flop to the sides of the pot. The singular lack of beauty of a pot �f droopy husband was so intrigued he fetched his camera and has recorded the event on leaves caused me U.to experimentreniformis with cultivation to some degree. At t�1s stage, I film for posterity - I can't wait to see the resulting photograph! (Editor: neither can I!!!) also Droseragained a large clump from this plant which gave me more material �o p�ay with. I left some Sphagnum.° in the hothouse, but put the larger clump m with Sooty mould Sarracenia Pinguiculathe moranensisspp. at 8 C through the winter. The plant "died down" leaving Unattractive, but we are assured it is not harmful. I have found it developing only a large pot of Not very pretty,111 I thought, �o I planted a few in cool and damp conditions in winter, on the sugary deposits on - _ in the pot, on �op of th� moss. In sprmg a flu�h of_ new just as I used to see it on cacti with extra-floral nectaries providing similar and vigorous growth showed the Utnc. to be excellent health after Its wmter sugary secretions. But this wretched summer of 1987, with its long cool rainy rest. Still no flowers. spells here on the "sunny"South Coast,Sarracenia has produced the mould at the "wrong" time of the year! However, I am cheered to find that a recently­ Sticking to my convictions that a shock would do the plant111 good, ie. induce it Othersarrived plant from Marston Exotics - a hybrid - is also blacker than one would expect in September, so I do not have to blame myself.Pinguicula to flower, I subjected it to yet another winter at 8 °C. In th_e spring the plant Darlingtonia, trundled offto Chelsea as usual, but on return was left out the garden for a few davs. It was then put in full "sun", or the English equivalent, in an Do you notice, dear Reader, that there is absolutely no mention of unheated greenhouse. The 20" pan it now occupied was placed on four (and I have all the native species) nor yet of where I have two upturned flower pots above a tray of water. Regular (once or twice a week) large plants and several rooting cuttings. I hope Fate will not feel obliged to waterings kept it damp. In early August the leaves had mostly scorched to a avenge this foolhardy utterance, but in the meantime let's give three hearty pinkish or yellow colour. At this stage three fl�wer spikes popped up and grew cheers for two genera less prone to pests! at a tremendous rate until the first bud opened m early September. The flowers NOTES TO CONTRIBUTORS were a pale mauve with two vertical yellow stripes on the lip.

Ge tting back Your views, tips, and any other articles of interest to other members down to earth, the are always welcome, but if possible could you help me in the editing work compost this plant by doing the following: is in is a mixture of I. If possible gee articles type, using double spacing between lines and half peat and half wide margins. If you can't get it typed, please write an article as clearly as Sphagnumperli te with a possible - again, double-spaced with wide m:irgins. This all helps my topping of live reading as well as editing. moss. 2. Include your full name and address. The compost must be kept moist but 1. If you include illustrations (photos or drawings) please label them not waterlogged at with the name of any plant species shown, and your own name and all times and needs address. Please indicate if you would like any of these returned. to be free draining. 4. possible make line drawings in ink. Pencilled drawings reproduce very Irbadly, so I have co make a trace in ink, which often turns out very messy. 5. Ha\'ing said all that, please do send in illustrations/photos with (}rricularia articles, as this makes an item much more interesting. reniformis 6. If writing a book review, please give details of number of pages, publisher and price (in sterling where possible). by F.(:. Hoehn,· 7. The next deadline for publishing is 15th March 1988 - but the "Plantas Aquaticas'' sooner the better. publi�hed by lnstitu1e oi Botany, 35 Sao Paulo, l 948. 36 The bromeliads arc becoming increasingly interesting to us, with the discovery of carnivory in at least one species, Brocchinia reducta. David Benzing look!) at the range of bromeliad pitchers, and how hundreds of their species capitalise on nitrogenous waste from insect visitors. He also sees possibilities of at least a few more meriting carnivorous status, such as Caropsis berteroniww, which looks and behaves rather 1ikcBrocchnia reducta. Both these species may have turned to full-bloodied carnivory because of the scarcity of nutrients in their habitats.

REVIEW l\111-planrs benefit from protection 011d food l'rom their hosts

mSECTSANDTHEPLANTSURFACE Edited by B.E. Juniper and T.R.E. South,«><>d, rr 168, 92 illustrations, hardback £32.50. Edward Arnold Ltd., 1986. Review by Paul Simons

Don't be put off by this rather obscure title. Plant surfaces arc the-firstJim: of defence or attraction between plants and the insect world. They include pollination, the attraction of insects to plants, or defences of plants against insects, special relationships between plants and ants, and - grcatesr treat of all - the carnivorous plants. Ar the risk of being rather narrow minded, let me take you straight to the CP's where there arc four (or even five!) chapters of interest. Starting with Barrie Juniper, he sets out to answer a nagging question - how on earth did lvc in pla ts? His theories arc familiar co this Society's long­ carnivor� ever ev? _ � Di.,dtidia of pccteuoides runmng 111terest 111 this ubicct (sec several past editions of our publication, Nepc111hes biwlwrata Leaf �ac cut open - although unfortunately the literature cited in this book omits this) - that The hollow pitcher stalks �how� chamber where ants lh·c. arc pierced and entered by ams. (Reproduced courtCS)' of sticky glands probably originated from defensive hairs (covered in a separate r chapter), and pitchers formtank-shaped leaves which hold water. He traces an Riologic<1/ Re iem) interesting line of how carnivorous pitchers came to trap insects. One of the secrets lies in the slippery wax cells on the inside of a pitcher, on which insects (Both illustrations from C.R. Huxley\ chapter) loose their footing and ski their way down into the water tank below. In fact waxy surfaces occur in a range of other species, from insect-pollinated Oowers (such as iris), to plants adapted to fighting frost damage, Special relationships between plants and ants are covered in two enthralling chapters. C.R. Huxley gives a brief outline of ants supplying many specially The p�>int. he makes is that you can see any feature of carnivory in other plants. Carnivorous plants have somehow brought all these characteristics adapted plants (such as Hydnophytu111, and even some ferns) with nitrogen, together to dramatic effect, although it needs some stretch of imagination to see phosphorus and potassium, by feeding them with detritus, or captured food. how Dionaea (V cnus' Oytrap), A ldrovanda, U tricularia (bladderworts) evolved Am-gardens arc nests of earthy material on which certain species of cpiphyte their spectacular· movements. grow, and according to Sally Kleinfcldt, can also benefit plant nutrition. Daniel Joel's chapter on carnivorous plant glands guides us over the So what arc we to make of all this? The leaf as a predator has arisen at least remarkable range of these glands: water-absorbing glands in Ucric11/aria several times in evolution, and all for the same reason - the plant was short of touchy glands on the 0111side of Dionaea, nectar-sccretors on the rims of pitche� minerals. traps, and of course the sticky/digestive glands. But he also leaves us with the However, one word of warning. This book is intended for the academic: paradox O! some. sa�racenias. Many of these pitchers act unusually. They biologist, and (as the price suggests!) it could be difficult for the amateur encourage 111sect hfc 111 a mutual exchange set-up: tht: plant provides special grower to digest! de,·ices for trapping prey, and the living insect inhabitants contribute nitrogenous waste. 37 38 INDEX TO VOLUME 11 (1987) SPRING Article Author Page SOUTHWEST SEED$ Propagating Urricu/aria by leaf cuttings Rob Dodds 2 V New source of C.P.'s. Paul Kerr 2 SEND TODAY FOR OUR Leaf-cuttings of Utricu/aria Eric Schlosser 3 Unusual Cepha/otus follicularis leaves Holger Hennern 4-5 FREE LISTING OF Cephalotus seed germination Pat Moon 5 An introduction to predatory fungi Fenn 6-7 CARNIVOROUS, CACTUS Urricu/aria minutissima and SUCCULENT PLANT SEEDS. new to cultivation AlastairR. Culham 8 Russian roulette with Drosophyllum R. Tilbrooke 9 Specialising in all kinds of Desert Plant Seeds. Review - "Mosgrave Postliny" Air Mail Service to all parts of the world. by Miloslav Studnicka Lois Glass 14 Review - "Carnivorous Plants of Peninsula Malaysia and Singapore" Alastair Culham 15 Doug and Vivi Rowland Problems - Outdoor bog-making Wim Lays 15 200 SPRING ROAD, KEMPSTON, BEDFORD. Carnivorous algae? Paul Simons 16 ENGLAND MK42 8ND What is Drosera Jove/Jae? Alastair Culham 16 Telephone 5edford (0234) 58970 Nepenthes in Danger? Robert Cantley 17-19 Letters Link-up Tilbrooke 12 Problems A. J. Yetton 12 Escape R.Paul Kerr 12 BACK COPIES Reply to 'Ecology Sadness" Vic Raffells et al 13 SUBSCRIPTIONS You'll be glad to know that OF THE JOURNAL Limit ed numbers available subscriptions for next vear remain at SOp plus 20p postage and AUTUMN frozen at unrealistically low rates (in packing (add SOp for Dormancy Vic Smyth 21 fact they're subsidised by our sales at overseas). Growing Polypompholy.,· tenella from seed Nigel Cooper 21 the Chelsea Flower Show). You can Ecology and status of the Venus' flytrap Anthony Burgess 22 renew your membership for 1988 Nepenthes, notes for beginners Alastair Culham 23-24 Reflections of Chelsea Malcolm Goddard anytime from now on. 26 Australian tuberous sundews Stan Lampard 27-28 Inside the bladderwort Dr. Brian Fineran 29 A few tips for beginners Chris Roper 30 Ordinary (U.K.) : £6.00 Some thoughts on H�liamphora Robin Brown 32 European : £8.00 Calrha is not carnivorous Paul Simons 33 Sphagnum moss and Garden pools G. McBurne 33 OtherPlease sendoverseas chequ es, countries postal order : £10.00 to: One collector's pests - Margaret & Dudley Watts, and their treatment LoisR. Glass 34-35 J74 Baldwins Lane, The cultivation of Utricularia reniformis Alastair Culham 36 Croxley Green, Review 'Insects and the Plant Surface' Hcrts WD3 3LQ. by B.E. Juniper and T.R.E. Southwood Paul Simons 37 And as an inducement let me Problems, answered by Alastair Culham Shrivelled Sarracenia pitchers J.E. Scott 31 point out that next vear Sarracenia flowering Paul Kerr we're hoping ro print our 31 Making epiphytic utricularias flower Gareth Davies 32-33 first-ever Letters Radiation and mutant plants Andrew Pattie 25 Ditto Paul Hills 25-26 - Colour Publication - 39