|
BACPS | Newsletter |
| Fall 2006 |
| Next Meeting: February 10, 2007 |
| Fall Meeting Minutes | |
| Member Self-Introduction: Doris Quick | |
| Book Review: Growing Carnivorous Plants | |
| Treasurer's Report | |
| Upcoming Events | |
by Stephen Davis
Location: UC Botanical Garden, Berkeley
Date: Saturday, February 10, 2007, 1:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
PLEASE NOTE DIFFERENT TIME
Program: Forbes Conrad: "Mexican Pinguicula in Habitat - or What Crazy Thing I Did on My Summer Vacation"
NEW: Bring a snack to share!
Schedule:
| 1:00-1:30 | Plant and raffle ticket sales |
| 1:30-2:30 | "Mexican Pinguicula in Habitat" and club business |
| 2:30-2:50 | Plant "show and tell" |
| 2:50-3:30 | Raffle and auction |
Forbes Conrad spent his summer in Mexico hunting down Pinguicula, one of the most beautifully flowered genera in the carnivorous plant world. He will be showing slides of the plants in habitat that will bring many surprises. Those who have seen a preview of his pictures right after he returned tell us that you do not want to miss this show.
For those not familiar with Pinguicula (pings, as we affectionately call them), they are known as the African Violet of the CP world. They have a large, richly colored flower that is extremely long lasting. The Mexican Pinguicula are unique because they are a succulent during dry periods, and carnivorous only during the wetter summer months. Some people like them in their greenhouse to help them control the gnat population. Truly a plant that can appeal to a broad audience.
Forbes is well known as an exceptional grower of CP from seed and has been a favorite supplier of rare and unusual CP at our meetings for the past several years. Coming up from LA, it is always a pleasure to see him, and we are looking forward to an exceptional presentation.
Somebody recently lamented that a BACPS meeting was like a cocktail party without the cocktails or hors d'oeuvres. I thought that was a good idea and would like to suggest to everyone who can, bring a snack or hors d'oeuvre to share at the meeting.
We have been getting feedback for some time that at least a few people would like to have a meeting in San Francisco. We used to meet at the Randall Museum about half the time, with the other half of the meetings at the UC Botanical Garden, Berkeley . We would like your feedback. Should we again hold meetings at the Randall Museum? Please take just a minute to take our poll at http://bacpspolls.homestead.com/index.html. Feel free to email Stephen Davis at cpstephen007-bacps@yahoo.com if you have more to say than the options in the poll allow.
by Tony Gridley
Unfortunately for all of us, BACPS Secretary Judith Finn was not at the November meeting,
so I will do my best to remember what happened in order to provide some context for
the few pictures I took. By trying to do this myself, even new and prospective
members will quickly realize why Judith is so great.
The meeting started a little late because for some reason we were locked out, and of course then it started to rain, but once we got inside and everything set up, we all enjoyed the range of plants offered for sale by several vendors. Also, Barry Rice was selling and signing copies of his stunning new book.
Because John Pizzicara didn't attend due to injury, Larry Logoteta assumed command of the raffle table and ticket sales.
I didn't do a count, but people kept streaming in throughout the afternoon, and it seemed to me there was a larger crowd than usual.
Joe Mazrimas ran the election for club officers. Everyone was reelected for
another tour of duty, except that Bill Baumgartl didn't run again.
Doris Quick was duly elected our new vice president.
Stephen talked about an upcoming CP event at the Conservatory of Flowers (www.conservatoryofflowers.org) in Golden Gate Park. I believe the idea is that the "special exhibits" space at the Conservatory will be dedicated to CP from May to October. According to Lois, California Carnivores is providing the plants.
We all hope this six-month-long carnivorous plant show will be a great opportunity for the BACPS. The Conservatory has tremendous advertising resources, as I see every day when walking down the street in San Francisco. For all their events, they somehow manage to put posters in every shop window and banners on street lamps.
Dr. Barry Rice, Carnivorous Plant Newsletter co-editor and also author of the recently published
Growing Carnivorous Plants, was the speaker. We were treated to a high-energy
slideshow presentation of recent botanical adventures in various parts of the US.
There were grisly discoveries in bogs, martial arts-trained bears, and
lots more scary things happening out where the wild things are.
Fortunately for us, Barry is willing to lug photography equipment, including some kind of
shower curtain contraption, out into this nether world and bring back the
most breathtaking photographs.
I'm afraid I didn't take notes, but I'm pretty sure that most of the slideshow is -- or soon will be -- available on Barry's vast website (www.sarracenia.com/faq.html -- look under Field Trip Reports for the 2006 trips). Of course if you view it online, you miss out on the superhuman energy with which he delivers his presentations, an energy far beyond that of mortal men.
Near as I can recall, Lois Ochs brought some Mexican forms of Utricularia livida and some sundews.
Barry Rice brought herbarium specimens and some aquatic utrics in plastic containers filled with some kind of "hay infusion" guck that he concocted using cattail leaves. I mean this in a good way. As a utric freak, I totally love guck myself.
Doris Quick showed off a very nice Cephalotus. Because I won the Best Cephalotus ribbon two years in a row, Doris once asked me the secret to growing Cephalotus. If I were honest, I would have said the real secret to winning Cephalotus blue ribbons is to be the only person bringing one. But of course I instead assumed a fake aura of great wisdom and expertise, and solemnly told her to give her plants more sun. I'm positive that she didn't fall for my malarkey, but whatever she's doing now, it was a great plant.
There were about 25-30 plants this time. I brought probably about one-third to one-half of these myself, and consequently I remember about one-third to one-half of what was on the table. There was, if I do say so myself, a nice pot of Genlisea aurea, a Cephalotus, a Drosera binata, and several pots of utrics that you don't see every day (warburgii, microcalyx, graminifolia, involvens, minutissima). Some other folks brought some big sarrs, some pings, and a couple of orchids.
I look forward to the February meeting, with Forbes Conrad's slideshow, a wide range of cool plants, and member-provided food, but more than anything I look forward to the return of Judith Finn.
by Doris Quick
Tony asked me to do a self-introduction article, so here's more than you probably ever wanted to know about your new vice president.
Been married 15 years.....between the two of us, my husband and I have five grown children and four grandchildren. My other hobbies include stained glass work, collecting Carnival Glass, soap making, gardening, and water gardening.
A strict amateur, I've always been a plant lover. Like a good number of our members, I started with orchids. It turns out that when you are too cheap to pay all that money to PG&E, a cool house is perfect for paphs but not the heat lovers that thrive in little old ladies' homes. I live in Albany, and our climate is perfect for most of my orchids to live outdoors for all but the coldest months. We are in the only district of EBMUD with tap water that can be used for carnivores, bromeliads, etc.
While on a Sunday drive several years ago, we picked up a brochure listing local spots of interest. California Carnivores was listed. We drove there and I was hooked. I already had a Sarracenia purpurea at home and now I had access to good information and more plants than I ever dreamt of. Peter had information about the club, and as my collection grew, I decided to join and benefit from the expertise of the members.
Living in a typical Albany home means very little indoor space for my plants and a small yard. So, my collection is, by necessity, limited. I have several Sarracenia, some Mexican pings, a few Drosera and a few Nepenthes. Of course, my Cape Sundews grow like weeds. I have plans to build a large plexiglass terrarium on my enclosed front porch so I can try some of the more cold sensitive plants. Had to put it off this past year due to family needs and knee surgery. Hopefully it will get done in 2007, and then I'll really be pestering club members for advice.
by Stephen Davis
From the Golden Rule to Sci-fi to the coffee table, this book has what it takes to make it into your collection.
Growing Carnivorous Plants by Dr. Barry Rice is nothing less than spectacular and, as a bonus,
the closest thing we have in the CP world to a coffee table book. The pictures are breathtaking,
and I was very happy to see my aunt and uncle paging through the book at Christmas and talk about
how amazed they were at the variety of plants and how beautiful they were. I now know that that
look of fascination they had had all those times I discussed my hobby with them was really just
a well-disguised glazing-over of their eyes. It's nice to have a book that non-CP people can enjoy!
However, fellow hobbyists, you won't be disappointed, as there is plenty in it for us. Besides the pictures that all will enjoy, there is also a lot of good information that goes beyond what has already been written.
The book has a broad scope, starting with carnivorous plant history, evolution, and trapping mechanisms. It then dives into each genus of carnivorous plant plus a few quasi-carnivorous and "leftovers." Each chapter on a genus has an introduction describing the history and some interesting facts about the genus. It is then further divided logically into sections covering morphology, reproduction, mechanisms the plants use for attraction, trapping, and digestion, native ranges, conservation, and, of course, cultivation. All the carnivorous plant genera and species are listed in helpful tables, and there are a couple of photos of species that have never been published before in a book. It finishes with a series of chapters on general cultivation, the process of registering cultivars, plants in the wild, and conservation. There are all of three or four pages without pictures, and many full-page photos.
What so many of us look for is new information on cultivation. This book is neither a rewrite nor an attempt to replace The Savage Garden or other books. Barry is well aware of the books already available and has sought to fill in gaps, provide updates, and not unnecessarily repeat what has already been done, although some repetition is inevitable and, in fact, necessary.
In what is more than a how-to book, Barry presents a philosophy of growing carnivorous plants. In fact, I think it would help to read that section just before you start reading about how to grow a particular genus.
While some books discuss how to grow carnivorous plants, and usually give advice on growing individual species, they often don't delve into why something that works for one grower might not work for another. Barry has obviously spent a lot of time with growers across the country and noted the differences in growing techniques. From this experience he has developed a philosophy of growing that is a good base for anyone to better understand what is going right or wrong with their plants and how to correct for failures. He calls this philosophy his "Golden Rules" of growing.
That's not to say he doesn't have a lot of specific cultivation tips, too. Some species get more coverage than others, and some of this seems to be tied to how well other books have already covered the cultivation of a particular species. Cultivation tips for each genus or species are tied in with his Golden Rules, and the range of growing techniques that have worked successfully for different growers is shared. He also points out danger signs that the plants might give you and what to do about them. There are sections on pests, diseases, and other annoyances as well as recommendations on how to fight them.
Above all, he points out the joy of discovery and suggests ways to learn from others' success and your own mistakes. I find this a refreshing and honest approach.
Barry goes into the history of the discovery of the nature of these "beasts" from Darwin to the present. His discussion of their evolution and the mutually beneficial relationships with animals and insects shows a keen appreciation of systems and the incredibly complex environment these plants have evolved in. It's not just CP eating prey; there are many more interesting and complex relationships going on between the insects and CP. Both often benefit from the relationship. New information is coming out all the time on these complex relationships, and it's good to see more attention given to it here than in other books.
He goes beyond the usual discussion of scientific discovery and describes some of the lore through the ages. I really enjoyed these sections on CP in legend, pop culture, movies, and the theatre. He even goes over the trends in our own hobby.
Dr. Rice works for the Nature Conservancy and travels across the country helping agencies and groups deal with invasive species. He is also the International Carnivorous Plant Society's (ICPS) Director of Conservation Programs. He has certainly not been silent on the CP Listserve with his views on conservation. Each genus has a section on conservation issues, plus there is a chapter dedicated to the topic.
Barry likes lists, and he has included lists of every genus and species in the carnivorous plant realm, and for some genera he also included subspecies. They are well organized, and, where appropriate, plants are further subgrouped in a logical fashion. This is a valuable tool in itself and it's nice to see everything laid out so logically and thoroughly.
Each list has its own set of additional relevant data, including more specific location information for some, conservation threat for others, or flower color. Nepenthes has lowland or highland identified, which helps with cultivation questions.
Of course in writing a book you can't please everyone, and I was a little disappointed that my favorite genus, Drosera, didn't have subspecies listed. I asked him about this, and he had his reasons. I would have liked to see the subspecies myself, but there are compromises that sometimes must be made when writing a book. In spite of the omission of Drosera subspecies, this is probably the most complete listing of carnivorous plants in any book you can buy. He does have subspecies for Sarracenia and covers varieties in the Heliamphora. There is also mention of hybrids for a number of genera, as well as many of the mutated forms of Venus flytraps, including the rather recent B-52.
I also found that the subgroups he has made in some species lists could have benefited from a better explanation as to why some plants are grouped together. However, most of the time the reasons are clear and obvious.
He discusses growing sites -- windowsills, terrariums, all the way up to greenhouses -- and tries to rate them for difficulty. I didn't find his ratings for difficulty of growing methods to be very helpful and, in fact, disagreed with them. That is a tiny section of the book, though.
I have spoken to a couple of people who have skimmed this book at the bookstore and not bought it. In fact, my initial impression was that there were a lot of pretty pictures -- how could there be room for content? I think that part of the reason people jump to this conclusion is that they are used to typical CP book layouts, and this does not fall into one of those well-known formats. That is a good thing. It's not a scientific work, but it's certainly not a fluff coffee table book, although the pictures might make you think it is.
This book reaches a broad audience and has something for everyone.
It is a good first CP book for those who are not diving into the hobby and are mostly interested in looking at pictures with some interesting facts to read. This is a great gift for a niece or nephew with a casual but growing interest in CP.
Everyone will enjoy the photos, and the serious enthusiasts should have it around to show their friends. It's the best way to share your hobby with people who are not particularly interested in plants, much less carnivorous plants. It really is a book that should be on the coffee table for people to see. I imagine it will work as a good recruiting tool for the BACPS.
The enthusiast will glean many things from the book as well. Some of the updated cultivation suggestions are new, and the philosophy of cultivation is well worth looking at. Some of the genera are covered in greater detail than in the other books in your collection, and it is as updated as it gets. Genera that have been expanded since The Savage Garden came out are covered in more detail than in other books. For instance, there are six species of Byblis covered in this book, while there are two covered in The Savage Garden. On the flip side, there isn't as much coverage of Drosera in Growing Carnivorous Plants, and I would refer more often to The Savage Garden for help there.
Would I buy this over The Savage Garden? Personally, I think they would be good stacked on top of each other at the check-out counter. They complement each other well, and I certainly reference them both. Above all, I can't emphasize enough how nice it is to have a book that I can enjoy as much as my non-CP friends do.
by Joe Mazrimas
| BACPS TREASURY REPORT | |||
| November 11, 2006 | |||
| ASSETS | DEBIT | BALANCE | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raffle | $136.00 | ||
| Sellers | $11.00 | ||
| Auction | $40.00 | ||
| TOTAL | $187.00 | ||
| August Plant Show rental | $625.00 | ||
| Ribbons, etc. | $132.71 | ||
| TOTAL | $757.71 | ||
| Current Balance (11-11-2006) | ($570.71) | ||
| Previous Balance (08-26-2006) | $3328.62 | ||
| TOTAL | $2757.91 |
February 10, 2007: Winter Meeting
Photo of Barry Rice (signing book) and Stephen Davis -- Marla Davis; all other photos -- Tony Gridley
The BACPS Newsletter is a quarterly publication produced by the Bay Area Carnivorous Plant Society. Please send newsletter submissions to Tony Gridley (tgridley@comcast.net). For more information on membership, subscriptions, or events, please visit our website: www.bacps.org.