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BACPS | Newsletter |
| Winter 2005 |
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Next Meeting: SUNDAY May 1, 2005 |
| Beginners Corner | |
| Fernando Rivadavia Visit | |
| Bug Day | |
| Summer at Filoli | |
| Thanks, Mike! | |
| February Meeting Minutes | |
| Treasurer's Report | |
| Upcoming Events | |
| Editor's Note |
by Stephen Davis
Date: May 1, 2005
Location: UC Botanical Garden, Berkeley
Program Topic: Nicholas Matzke on "Evolution of Utricularia"
Schedule:
| 12:00-1:00 | Plant sales and Q & A with CP experts |
| 1:00-1:30 | Club business and presentation shorts |
| 1:30-2:30 | Evolution of Utricularia |
| 2:30-? | Raffle, Auction, Q & A with CP experts |
We will try a Sunday meeting as several people have noted that sports keep many families from attending meetings.
Nicholas Matzke, from the National Center for Science Education, will be giving a presentation on the unlikely evolution of the Utricularia. Nic gives the argument that Utricularia evolved from an extinct species of pitcher plant in the Lentibulariaceae. This is a presentation that Judith attended recently and found to be amazingly interesting and presented in a very entertaining way. Nic has found a way to show his research so everyone can understand and enjoy it.
There will, of course, be plants for sale and trade. We hope to have another raffle the size of the last one, and also a beginners corner for the new people.
by Melissa Mork
BACPS wants new members, and we need help to get them. For the Spring Meeting, we'll have a Beginners Corner where we'll offer a gentle introduction to our bloodthirsty green friends and let every beginner who comes walk away with a free, well-started plant.
So we need the help of every member to do this. First, we need hardy plants for beginners such as Drosera capensis, D. binata, D. aliciae, Utricularia subulata, and anything else that's hardy and forgiving. For every two plants that anyone brings, they will get a raffle ticket to the general raffle as a small thank-you. The plants must be hardy, healthy, well started, and in separate pots large enough for them to thrive in for years to come. So, two plants gets one ticket, four plants gets two tickets, and so on. And the one exception, a lush flat of hardy Utricularia gets two tickets.
Second, for Beginners Corner to be a success, we'll need beginners. Simple but crucial. So please tell the future biologist down the block! Bring your begonia-growing neighbor to the dark side of the force! Mention to your friendly orchid grower how a Nepenthes would complement her collection. And above all, whisper the magic words "Free Plant."
The free plant offer for first-time visitors and our plant-for-ticket exchange are planned only for the Spring Meeting on May 1. But, as always, we're happy to welcome, educate, and corrupt new visitors at any time.
by Judith Finn
There was a special lecture and slide presentation held on January 15, 2005, at the University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley. Forty-two people attended Fernando Rivadavia's talk on his November 2004 Neblina Expedition. Fernando is a Brazilian biologist who works in the biotech industry. The nature of his job allows him a certain amount of time for botanical endeavors. Instead of amassing a prize collection of specimen carnivorous plants, Fernando enjoys in situ visits. He enjoys discovering new specimens and re-discovering plants that have only been seen in herbarium records. His earliest memory of carnivorous plants was seeing Pinguicula in Italy as a child.
Fernando treated us to breathtaking pictures of the tepuis of Mt. Neblina. At 9000 feet, Mt. Neblina is the highest mountain in Brazil. It is a very remote place that has had very little exploration. Spurred on by herbarium specimens from the 1950s, Mr. Rivadavia wished to re-discover Drosera meristocaulis. He had unsuccessfully traveled to Mt. Neblina six years ago to seek the elusive plant. Once we saw his photographs of the treacherous vertical sides of the mountain and saw the thin Y-shaped mesa with its razor-sharp perimeter, we understood how difficult it would be to locate the Drosera.
Before the trip started he showed us pictures of the Yanomani, some of the world's most primitive people. They survive on manihot, bananas, and fish. When Fernando visited their village the temperature was 110 degrees and the mosquitoes were savage. He showed pictures of the thatched roof houses with solar panels inset -- a gift from the government that no longer functioned. The first thing they spotted was a wet-growing palm (Mauritia flexuosa) that usually points the way to the bog-growing carnivorous plants. They found the rare Utricularia sandwithii with its numerous yellow flowers. They saw Passiflora foetida whose sticky glands make some feel that it should be included in the carnivorous plant category.
He and his two companions left by helicopter, and when they reached Mt. Neblina the temperatures ranged from 72-degree days to 55-degree nights. The humid air was trapped in the canyons, but the top was clear and the soil fairly dry even though the rain is frequent. Mt. Neblina is on the border of Brazil and Venezuela, and, being a tepui (flat mesa-like top with very vertical sides), it is filled with isolated plants. It is, in essence, an island, where plants and animals are cut off from the greater land mass. This leads to all sorts of strange evolutionary developments. Brocchinia (carnivorous bromeliads), with the blue-flowered Utricularia humboldtii floating inside, and terrestrial orchids were found. Utricularia pubescens, U. amethystina, U. steyermarkii, and Genlisia repens were seen. Then, the prize was spotted -- the long-sought-after Drosera meristocaulis. The plant is odd in that it doesn't resemble South American Drosera but those of Australia. They are found growing on rocky terrain with stems 3-5 inches tall. They have large lavender flowers that seem to cover the rosette of leaves, making it safe for the pollinator to visit the flowers without getting trapped. The sepals push the sticky leaves back so that the seeds fall to the ground. The photos of the Drosera were remarkable. Fernando also discovered perhaps a new species closely related to D. roraimae and the very rare D. hirticalyx.
Then Fernando took us on the next leg (so to speak) of his adventure to Mt. Aracamuni to re-discover the orchid Aracamunia that was reported in 1987. This orchid is thought to be carnivorous because of the glands discovered at the base of its leaves. They passed over a camp of gold miners who are known to be a very dangerous group of people (due to their ties to the Colombian FARC guerillas). They are known to highjack helicopters and protect their territory from any intruders. The helicopter was to return in three days so they set off to explore. A very short while later, Fernando cut his leg severely with his machete and had to stitch his own leg up with needle and thread. The telling of this adventure brought a lot of groans from the audience. Needless to say, the orchid Aracamunia is still out there to be rediscovered by some brave adventurer. There were more beautiful photos of Drosera hirticalyx, D. esmeraldae, U. amethystina, Heliamphora neblinae, H. tatei, H. macdonaldae, and Genlisia roraimensis, but the beauty and isolation of this most remarkable land made the biggest impression on me. We will long remember Fernando's amazing Neblina Expedition 2004.
by Geoff Wong
This year the Randall Museum in San Francisco will host its annual Bug Day on Saturday, April 30, from 10:00am to 2:00pm. BACPS once again has been invited to participate in this event that introduces young visitors to the world of bugs. Our displays have consistently generated intense interest by the kids, some of whom had never seen a carnivorous plant before. Just as popular is the sales table. We are seeking a BACPS member to serve as coordinator for the society's display. In the past we have had both display and sales tables staffed with volunteers to explain CP to visitors. If you would be willing to serve as event coordinator, please contact Stephen Davis.
Margaret Goodale from the Randall writes:
BUG DAY is a wildly popular annual event at the Randall Museum featuring many kinds of insects, spiders, and other terrestrial arthropods. Along with art activities and games for families, there will be live critters to view and touch. Researchers from the UC Berkeley Insect Biology Department, educators from the Co-Evolution Institute, and representatives from City and State agencies will be on hand with information about beneficial insects and pests. Visitors can inspect compost critters and water insects under microscopes, and find out how to garden for native bees or butterflies or keep honey bees. They can join parades, sing along with live music, or attempt the insect olympics.
Last year's Bug Day entertained and educated over 750 visitors. We expect at least that many folks to enjoy the event again this year. We hope you will join us on Saturday, April 30 from 10am to 2pm with your fascinating bug-eating plants!
Contact Margaret at the Museum for more information: 415-554-9600 ext. 16.
by Stephen Davis
I have been in contact with Filoli in Woodside and have discovered an opportunity for the BACPS to participate in one of their largest events of the year on June 25 from 10am to 3:30pm. It is a fantastic chance to educate hundreds of people on carnivorous plants and promote the BACPS.
We need someone to lead and organize a few people to bring plants and teach people. Unfortunately, it is not a day I can attend. Filoli is very excited to have us there, and they are giving us a prime location with maximum exposure.
You can find out more about Summer at Filoli at www.filoli.org/calendar.html#summer.
by Stephen Davis
I want to thank Mike Woodring for donating his computer projector for use at our meetings. It is a huge donation, and I can't thank him enough. Mike has brought his projector in several times when he probably should have been doing other things, and I can't thank him enough for that either.
This means that there will be no more scrambling when we need a projector for a computer-generated presentation. This will save many a sleepless night for club organizers, as we sometimes scramble to save the club from renting a projector for a significant amount of money, and will probably also prevent a club officer from knocking on Mike's door at 8:00am on a Saturday as well! (Or so he hopes.)
by Judith Finn
Forty-five people attended our winter quarterly meeting on February 5, 2005, at U.C. Botanical Garden in Berkeley.
Stephen Davis began the meeting by praising Fernando Rivadavia's January 15 talk on his Neblina Expedition of November 2004. He had shown us wonderful photos of his adventure to the Brazil/Venezuela border. The highlight of this trip was the rediscovering of Drosera meristocaulis on Mt. Neblina. For those fortunate enough to obtain the rare seeds, it takes 14-18 days in heated soil to germinate this highland plant.
Stephen is offering DVDs of Fernando's lecture and photos as a fundraiser to help defray the cost of Fernando's trip. Please contact him if you are interested. It is not only interesting for carnivorous plant lovers but also instructive in that it shows a very remote geographical area and introduces people to the special world of tepuis.
Stephen also encourages members to help spice up our website.
Ken Kirkpatrick has volunteered to help with artwork.
He thanked Tony for his great work on the newsletter.
Looking forward to our late summer Annual Bay Area Carnivorous Plant Show that is held at Lakeside Garden at Lake Merritt, we are in need of a promotion person, a photographer to document the plants displayed, and a volunteer who can come early to register the plants as they arrive for the show. Please, if you can help with any of these, or have any suggestions to make the show better, please contact Stephen.
Mike Woodring has given the club a generous donation of a projector for the visual presentations at our club talks.
Melissa Mork reminded us again about the Yankee Swap with the New England Carnivorous Plant Society. This is a fun activity where members of each club mail a box of plants to the other club. This is an exciting way to trade plants and perhaps obtain new species for our collections.
We were also informed of a great deal on purchasing greenhouses through Costco and a feature article on bogs in the 2005 annual Pond magazine. In the journal Flora Australis there is a good article on Drosera regia.
Peter D'Amato announced that he displays newsletters from other carnivorous societies such as those in Italy and Scandinavia at his nursery, California Carnivores, in Sebastopol.
Christina Palmer reminded everyone about her team propagation project. In order to enrich our collections, the idea is for members to produce "wish lists" and also a list of plants that one could offer for propagation. We would be careful to keep sources anonymous so as to protect people's collections. Please bring your list to the May meeting so that we could start to develop this program. This could be a great source of new material.
Joe Mazrimas discussed the germination successes of Lowrie's seed. There is a mix of results -- at least 30% success. Some seeds can take up to two years to germinate. Some Utricularia germinate better on water and some under mist.
Geoff began his talk by showing us a map of Ecuador, which is located at the extreme west of South America on the equator. He started his journey in Quito, the capital city located at 9,000 feet in the Andes. Much of his adventure covered the area between the two mountain ranges at an elevation of 6,000 to 8,000 feet as well as the eastern slopes. The ranges are formed by chains of volcanoes, some active and some snowcapped, about 100 miles from the Pacific Ocean. They traveled along the famous Pan American Highway with its spectacular views and hair-raising curves. At 8,000 ft they saw tuberous begonia and passion flowers, while on the mountain passes at 10,000-12,000 ft., they encountered Lycopodium and gentians. He came across Pinguicula growing on rocky soil. Ecuador has a wet and a dry season and at this elevation is usually 60-70 degrees in the day and in the 40s at night. We saw pictures of the Erica family, Protea, orchids (Sobralia and Trichoceros), bromeliads, gesneriads, Tibouchina, and Anthurium. Geoff showed us wonderful photos of Utricularia growing epiphytically in moss on tree branches, and a terrestrial Utricularia growing with Masdevallia orchids in drainage ditches and on road cuts along the side of the road. There were also small Gunnera, lupine, and Oxalis species. On the eastern slopes the terrain becomes wetter. At the lower, more tropical elevations grew Heliconia and Erythrina (coral tree). Higher up were Philodendron, Erica, tall Elleanthus orchids, Phragmipedium (S.A. ladyslipper), Bomarea vines, and 2- to 3-foot-tall Lycopodium. At the mountain pass there were climbing begonias and lovely gesneriads.
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Although there were only two types of carnivorous plants on his trip, Geoff did a wonderful job of describing the plants in situ. It is always helpful to know how our plants grow in the wild. He gave us a real feeling about travel conditions in this area. I especially enjoyed his photos of the meals served and his accommodations at the hotels. It gives one a real idea about what to expect when traveling in these regions.
The raffle table was overflowing with the best assortment of plants that we have had for quite some time: Drosera -- pygmy, peltata, root cuttings of D. regia, etc. -- Sarracenia, Pinguicula, Utricularia, and Nepenthes. We thank you for your generous participation. As always, John Pizzicara did a great job as "raffle master."
Peter D'Amato had an assortment of potted Nepenthes, Drosera, and Heliamphora, as well as T-shirts, containers for plants, cards, books, etc. Tim Krug had a wonderful display of different species of Heliamphora and a fabulously large specimen of Heliamphora nutans. He raises these plants in very high humidity by placing them in large plastic boxes. Stephen Davis offered Drosera for sale. Judith Finn had some volunteer seedlings from the highland Nepenthes collection. Dominic Diaz brought Drosera seedlings, Sarracenia hybrids, and Pinguicula.
It is always nice when members share their prized plants and successes. Because the meeting ran a little late we did not get to discuss growing tips, but we appreciate seeing the results. Thanks again. Lois Ochs showed us a Drosera regia that she germinated. Katherine Henwood displayed her Pinguicula 'Aphrodite'. Dominic Diaz brought in a lovely pot of Pinguicula esseriana.
by Joe Mazrimas
| BACPS TREASURY REPORT | |||
| FEBRUARY 5, 2005 | |||
| INCOME | DEBIT | BALANCE | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newsletter | $5.00 | ||
| Raffle | $154.00 | ||
| Sellers | $70.50 | ||
| TOTAL | $229.50 | ||
| Xeroxing growing instructions | $10.00 | ||
| Current Balance (2-5-05) | $219.50 | ||
| Previous Balance (11-13-04) | $2312.12 | ||
| TOTAL | $2531.62 | ||
| Berkeley Fund (separate) | $1450.00 |
April 30, 2005: Bug Day at the Randall Museum, San Francisco
May 1, 2005: Spring Meeting, UC Botanical Garden, Berkeley
June 25, 2005: Summer at Filoli, Woodside
by Tony Gridley
When I took over the editor's job last May, I was asked to come up with web versions of the newsletters but also continue the tradition of 64-column plain text versions to accommodate the many different kinds of hardware and software that our members might possess or prefer. In the months since then, and especially since we switched Internet service providers, the newsletters (and often the bulletins as well) have become increasingly rich in photographs and artwork, which is leading to a greater divergence in what the two versions actually say.
Therefore, maybe it's time to ask our members if anyone really does have such hardware or software limitations that a 64-column text version is still required. Please contact me if this situation applies to you. I'm happy to continue churning out text versions -- or any other versions -- if I know of a specific need, but my focus is increasingly on trying to produce an informative and colorful web-based newsletter, which, because I haven't said this in several months I'll try to sneak in here, continues to depend on getting informative and colorful contributions from our members.
The BACPS Newsletter is a quarterly publication produced by the Bay Area Carnivorous Plant Society. For more information on membership, subscriptions, or events, please visit our website: www.bacps.org.
BACPS