BACPS	Newsletter
	Summer 2008

In This Issue

Next Meeting: Saturday, November 15, 2008

by Geoff Wong

Location: UC Botanical Garden, Berkeley
Program: Gina Morimoto and Arthur Yin speaking about Mt. Kinabalu
Time: Noon-4:00 p.m.

Have you ever wondered what Nepenthes rajah or N. villosa look like in their native habitat? Come to a presentation by Gina Morimoto and Arthur Yin, who will share photos, experiences, and interesting information from their trip to Mt. Kinabalu last year. The talk will also include highlights from the 2007 Sarawak Nepenthes Summit. If you enjoyed Bill Weaver's presentation in January on the Nepenthes in Sarawak, then come back for more and hear about Gina and Arthur's exciting botanical explorations in northern Borneo.

Special Show and Tell Table

We're going to try something new -- a special show and tell table related to the program. Hopefully this will be that little extra enticement for you to bring in a special plant or two for fellow BACPS members to enjoy. For this meeting, the theme will be "Borneo." Since there are so many unique Borneo species, with everyone's participation it should be easy to make this a fantastic display. Of course, bring in non-Borneo plants as well for the regular (non-theme) show and table.

A Few Show Photos

by Tony Gridley

For more show photos, see Bill Weaver's Flickr site.

	Next Meeting: Saturday, November 15, 2008
	A Few Show Photos
	A Big Thank-You to All The People Who Helped Make the Show a Success
	The Winners
	Carnivorous Succulents?
	Meeting Minutes
	Dirt Day
	Catch the Reading Bug
	A Trip to the Atlanta Botanical Garden
	Treasurer's Reports
	Storage Space Needed
	Upcoming Events
	Correction
Phil Faulisi's prize-winning Roridula dentata

A Big Thank-You to All The People Who Helped Make the Show a Success

by Doris Quick

A great many people gave their time to make the Show and Sale successful this year.

For starters, we had a terrific new flyer to advertise the show, thanks to Janet Amaro.

As in the past, Christina Palmer took care of the data entry for all of the show registrants. Tony Gridley was there to mop her brow, or assist her in any way needed. Their help and expertise really kept things running smoothly in that area.

Geoff Wong put together our judging staff, some of whom squeezed us into an already busy schedule for that day. Thank you, Geoff. And a big thanks to our judges: Peter D'Amato, Barry Rice, and (new this year) Kristen Natoli from the California Academy of Sciences.

Larry Logoteta and Joe Mazrimas were our greeters. They got the banner up out front for us and helped with tables, etc. Judith helped with setting up. Paul Bourbin was The Plant Doctor again this year. (Eat your heart out, Buzz Bertolero). Michael Drabinsky took care of the raffles, and Bill Weaver was auction master.

I sent thank-yous to all of our vendors, but they deserve a big public thank-you as well. The variety of plants, books, and supplies available for purchase was fantastic. I've never been so busy in the plant hotel. You folks really made the show the success that it was. I'm looking forward to working with all of you again in 2009. For those unfortunates who missed the show and sale, the vendors were: Peter D'Amato, Lois Ochs, the Boomers, Steve Sykes, Phil Faulisi, Don Elkins, Mitchell Davis, Mike Wang, David Connor, and Stephen Davis and family. There were a lot of happy shoppers, myself included.

Of course, Stephen Davis was the chairman who put this together. Having finally won a ribbon, I must say he provided beautiful ones this year. Thanks for all of you time and work, Stephen.

If I've missed someone, I apologize. You can remind me and I'll give you a double thank-you after next year's show.

The Winners

Carnivorous Succulents?

by Maximillian Godino

So, how does one combine two completely different types of plants into one dish garden? Carnivorous plants want peaty, mineral-poor soil and lots of water, while succulents like dry yet rich soil. Luckily, they both love plenty of sunshine. If you replicate the following directions, then you too can grow both types of plants in the same garden to amaze and astound your friends and family.

1. Find a wide and fairly shallow container from your local flea market, thrift store, basement, etc.
2. Drill or punch holes in the bottom for drainage.
3. Find a tupperware or other plastic bowl that is shorter than the container and place it in the middle of the larger dish. This is where the carnivorous plants will live.
4. Fill the outer ring with succulent soil. Either a specific cactus/succulent mix from the nursery, or make your own with half potting soil and half perlite or sand.
5. Plant the succulents that you wish to grow in the outer ring. Undoubtedly there will be some spillage into the plastic dish. Clean this out before you continue.
6. Plant the CPs into the inside container. Take care to include plants that enjoy the same soil, water, dormancy, drainage, and sun requirements. If you want an undrained container, then do nothing. If you want it to drain, poke small holes in the bottom of the plastic and it will drain into the larger container.
7. Now, to disguise the fact that there is a plastic bowl in the middle of your dish garden, merely get some decorative pebbles from the nursery and pour these all around so as to hide the junction of the two separate ecosystems.
8. Voilà! You can now keep the inside moist and the outside dry by varying the watering scheme for each container. I keep the first one I made under a tinted glass cloche in the sun on my deck in San Francisco (the cloche used to be a lampshade in a former life). This keeps the humidity a bit higher yet doesn't overheat in the summer sun. The second one I built for this article I will try putting on a south-facing windowsill and see how it does. Experiment to figure out what works best for your conditions. Make more than one and test them in different spots!

Meeting Minutes

by Judith Finn

June 28, 2008
Location: Peter D'Amato's California Carnivores, Sebastopol
Attendance: ~50 people

Meeting

President Bill Weaver discussed the August plant show and poster. He announced that the lecture for the November meeting at the U.C. Botanical Garden will be about Mt. Kinabalu in Borneo.

The various outreach activities of club members this year to promote carnivorous plants were reviewed.

• Bug Day, an annual event at San Francisco's Randall Museum, was made possible by Ron LaPedis, Margaret Boomer, and Tony Gridley.
• Dirt Day in Livermore was a new activity that Joe Mazrimas, Larry Logoteta, and Margaret Boomer spearheaded. They gave away 65 Venus flytraps, Cape Sundews, and Utricularia sandersonii to adults if they potted them up themselves. The event offered the culinary experience of eating earthworms and maggots.
• Larry also participated in the Monterey library event called "Catch the Reading Bug." They raffled off VFTs, but Larry suggested a give-away to kids next time. He was impressed with the knowledge that the kids had about the carnivores.

Doris Quick discussed the August plant show and sale. (Congratulations to Doris and Stephen for organizing one of the best participated shows that we have had.)

Barry Rice talked about the battle to eliminate, or at least control, the invasive foreign plants that have been introduced into the Albion Bog in Mendocino County. The land is special for its unique soil types and special geological features. The lichen and other native plants that are unique to this area are extremely threatened by the carnivorous plants that people are still introducing to the site. Barry pointed out that the plants that are especially weedy in our own terrariums are probably impossible to truly eliminate once they have been introduced into the wild. These plants literally spread by the acre, dominating other vegetation. Even introducing fairly controllable plants like Sarracenia can inadvertently introduce pest plants and pathogens that have attached themselves to the roots and rhizomes. The worst-offending pest plants are Drosera capensis, Utricuilaria subulata, and U. bisquamata. From now on the 50-acre parcel of land will be monitored, and any invasive plants -- regardless of species -- will be removed and destroyed. Please respect this very special environmentally sensitive area.

First Lecture

Peter D'Amato explained to the audience about hybridization and the proper way to describe the crosses in their botanical labeling. Peter showed the flower parts and explained that pollination of the flowers occurs in the spring and the seeds mature at the end of summer and the beginning of fall. A grex is a cross between different plant species. You should name the plants resulting from the seeds with one group name. The seed grown from a hybrid can't have the same name. An exceptionally fine plant can be given a cultivar name. Example: Sarracenia "Lois beauty" -- only divisions or tissue cultures can retain the same name. Seeds are too variable and do not duplicate a parent. When one makes a cross one can get around 300 seedlings, and it will take at least three years to see the differences. He pointed out that many types of plants produce "mules" which subsequently cannot produce seeds. When you make a successful cross you have to register the name first in order to be recognized at the original hybridizer.

(In Peter's book, The Savage Garden on page 91, he describes the hybrids that occur naturally in the wild. Example: Saracenia purpurea × flava. This name shows both parents. On page 93 he describes complex crosses. Example; 1st cross: Saracenia purpurea × flava. 2nd cross: Saracenia (purpurea × flava) × leucophylla. 3rd cross S.{(p × f) × l } × minor. Note: the genus is always capitalized and the species begins with a small letter. If the resulting cross is the first of its kind it can be given a fancy name such as S. × 'Godzilla'. On page 94 he describes cultivars (exceptionally good offspring), whose name will not be in Latin, and have single quotes around it like Sarracenia × 'Daniel Rudd'. Common varietals or nicknames are in double quotes like S. flava "Copperhead".)

Groups like the Orchid Society have been doing this for years, but it is a new effort for us. It is important to register the plants so there is no confusion or plants with multiple names. To get more info about grex, etc., go to the grex page of Barry Rice's CP FAQ and the grex discussion on the ICPS web forum.

Peter next took on the topic of pests and pesticides for carnivores. Carnivorous plants are sensitive to pesticides, especially those that contain oils. Never spray plants when the temperature is hot or when placed in strong sunlight. Keep ants away, as they distribute aphids and mealy bugs to your plants. He uses a fungicide called Serenade for red-spotting fungus on his Sarracenia. Do not use on seedlings, just on mature pitcher plants, as there may be damage to the plant. He used to use wettable powder Orthene for most of his pest problems, but now his insects are resistant. He advises against using Marathon 50 because it contains oil and badly burns the tops of the plants. He has used a mix of Pyrethrum and Canola oil as a contact spray for aphids. He has also used Sevin (this will also kill off honey bees). Physan, which is a disinfectant that kills bacteria, viruses, and fungus, can be used. For thrips he uses wettable powdered Orthene or powdered Sevin.

Second Lecture

The second talk was given by Tom Kahl from Seattle. He spoke of the Nepenthes of Thailand. He spoke of going to the public market in Bangkok to find vendors selling Nepenthes. Another good place he visited was the Royal Herbarium with wonderful dried speciments from Cambodia, Thailand, and Borneo.

Tom brought pressed dried specimens from Mt. Puhkadung in northeast Thailand where there are 600 acres of peat bogs and pine forests with 20 kilometers of hiking trails. It was 45 degrees at night and 70-75 degrees in the day. There were several new species of Nepenthes (N. anamensis, N. geoffrayi, N. sp. "Viking" = globosa) plus variations on N. mirabilis and N. ampullaria. The tsunami in 2005 destroyed a lot of Nepenthes species. Tom talked about Nepenthes thorelii and N. kampotiana growing in sand in full sun and in peat bogs.

He talked about farmers selling the plants on the roadside and in the farmers market. He showed us dried specimens, plants, books, and some live specimens (N. anamensis). He started connecting with sellers on eBay. He has had mixed luck in that sometimes the sellers do not send what you ordered. He warned that the vendors should be registered and that they should have CITES permits and import/export licenses.

Auction

Sarracenia flava, Nepenthes briggsiana, N. boschiana hybrid.

Raffle

N.alata, S. oreophila, S. rubra ssp. wherryi, S. minor × psittacina, S. × 'Judith Hindle', S. 'Scarlet Belle', S. psittacina "giant liberty", S. rubra ssp. gulfensis, Drosera dichotoma "giant."

Show and Tell

Maximillian Godino brought in a dish garden of Sarracenia that he grew inside another container, surrounding it with succulents and small polished stones. He covers it with a cloche for added humidity.

Lois Ochs showed 12 Utricularia plants in covered glass vases to keep them separate: U. cornuta, U. tridentata, U. laxa, U. quelchii, U. tricolor, U. livida, U. spec. Kerala, India, U. junca, and U. praelonga × livida.

Max Schaefer displayed Nepenthes "Gothica" and N. sibuyanensis × maxima.

Terry showed Sarracenia rubra ssp. wherryi, S. flava × moorei which was a dark red and grows 3- to 4-foot-tall pitchers, Drosera dichotoma.

David Connor displayed his fused-tooth clones of Venus flytraps.

Dirt Day

by Larry Logoteta

Dirt Day was quite an experience, dealing with all the kids wanting flytraps. We also had Drosera and Utricularia supplied by Margaret Boomer and her husband, Terry. Margaret brought Sarracenia plants for sale. Joe was busy explaining how all the CP captured their prey, while yours truly was helping the kids plant up their flytraps. We had about 65 kids show up.

Margaret and Terry were helping the parents plant up their plants of Drosera capensis and Utricularia sandersonii. We also have seven new members to add to our club.

Catch the Reading Bug

by Larry Logoteta

I went to show my CP for "Catch the Reading Bug" on June 7, 2008, in the Monterey library, which was quite an experience. There were a lots of kids wanting to win the six Venus flytraps. The kids were great, and they asked a lot questions about how the CP captured their prey. Some of the kids already knew quite a bit about these plants. Most of the grownups had never seen these plants before and were puzzled that they existed in the world, and even in the United States.

The best part was showing all the kids and their parents these amazing plants, and we also gained three new members.

A Trip to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens

by Chuck Rambo

I have been involved in the hobby of collecting carnivorous plants for less than a couple of years. I try to get hold of every book I can find, I try to attend every BACPS meeting that I can make, and search the web for any info I can find. During my web searches I came across Barry Rice's site at sarracenia.com. I found this to be an excellent reference and recommend it anyone looking to get started or just needing solid info on carnivorous plants. Under the resources section of the site there is a FAQ Library. When you click on it, a number of sections come up. One section is titled "Botanical Gardens with Carnivorous Plants." I am fortunate to be able to travel around the country to different areas a few times each year to give presentations on tropical fish to hobby clubs. In July I was in Atlanta to attend a tropical fish convention. One of the side trips was to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. This is one of the gardens highly recommended by Barry and many BACPS members who have been there before. In fact on the website it says, "A marvelous facility with a tremendous collection. Go!" I emailed Barry, and he sent an introduction for me to Ron Determann at the gardens. He was unavailable the day I was to attend the garden, but Ron did set me up to meet one of the staff named Michael Wenzel. I emailed Michael, and the trip was set.

We showed up mid morning at the garden. The facility itself is quite beautiful. All the exhibits are well maintained with excellent plant specimens. You don't have to be into carnivorous plants to enjoy the gardens. It is a real feast for the senses. But I was there to check out the carnivorous plants, so off we went to the bogs. Outside the greenhouses they have geographical bog gardens set up on a gentle slope. Each bog represents a different area of the United States, with the plants that come from that bog area. The bogs were set up on a slope to keep the water in the bog constantly moving downhill. It was very impressive to see the Sarracenia species mixed into a meadow bog habitat. Poor insects nonchalantly going from plant to plant really didn't have a chance when they encountered a hungry Sarracenia. There was lots of insect activity in the bog areas on this warm summer day.

I contacted Michael, and he met us at the bog area. Eventually we went into the greenhouses to view different Nepenthes species. I am not familiar with the genus, but the specimens we saw were all very impressive. My favorite plants are the Sarracenia, so Michael took us to the back room where they raise Sarracenia for bog habitat restorations. This was a Sarracenia factory! This room was wall to wall with pitcher plants! I was like a kid in a candy store. All these plants were grown to be used to restore bog habitats throughout the southeast United States. I asked Michael how successful the project was. It seems that they have had problems with bears uprooting newly planted Sarracenia for some strange reason. All the plants are grown in a mixture of 50% peach-colored-sugar sand and peat moss. Future projects at the garden include an outdoor waterfall with an artificial bog pond.

We had a great time, and I would like to thank Michael Wenzel for taking time out of his busy schedule to show us around. If you ever get a chance to go to Atlanta, then you need to go check out the garden. We were unable to make any time to go see some Sarracenia in the wild, but the Atlanta Botanical Garden is the next best thing. Please check it out if you are ever in the area.

Treasurer's Reports

by Joe Mazrimas

BACPS TREASURY REPORT

06-28-08



ASSETS
DEBIT
BALANCE


Raffle
$162.00


Auction
$363.00


TOTAL
$525.00


Dirt Day Show
$119.00


Cow Palace Show
$193.40


Food/drink/supplies
$ 83.00


TOTAL
$395.40


Current Balance (06-28-08)
$ 129.60


Previous Balance (04-05-08)
$2905.27


TOTAL
$3034.87




BACPS TREASURY REPORT

08-16-08



ASSETS
DEBIT
BALANCE


Raffle
$539.00


Sellers
$293.00


TOTAL
$832.00


Ribbons
$140.00


Tablecloths
$ 30.00


TOTAL
$170.00

Current Balance (08-16-08)
$ 662.00


Previous Balance (06-28-08)
$3034.87


TOTAL
$3696.87

Storage Space Needed

by Doris Quick

I am looking for a kind soul with a little spare space. I am currently storing a box of picnic supplies from the potluck at Peter's (to be used next year), the black tablecloths from the show tables at our show and sale, and the large laminated pictures (rolled up) that we used at the Spring Garden Show and the show and sale. Bill is storing the club banner, also rolled up. We both have extremely small houses. Bill has no garage, and mine was built to hold one Model T.

If someone out there has a little space in your garage, basement, etc., it would be a tremendous help if you would be willing to store these items for us.

Upcoming Events

November 15, 2008: Fall BACPS meeting, University of California Botanical Garden, Berkeley. Gina Morimoto and Arthur Yin speaking about the Nepenthes of Mt. Kinabalu.
January 24, 2009: Winter BACPS meeting, University of California Botanical Garden, Berkeley. Fernando Rivadavia speaking about CP in Africa (tentative). This program is tentative contingent on the speaker's work schedule.
April 4, 2009: Spring BACPS meeting, University of California Botanical Garden, Berkeley. Ron Long speaking about the Nepenthes of Sumatra.
July 18, 2009: Summer BACPS meeting, California Carnivores, Sebastopol. Potluck lunch social.
November 21, 2009: Fall BACPS meeting, University of California Botanical Garden, Berkeley. Panel discussion on pest control, disease control, and fertilization.

Correction

by Tony Gridley

In the August 2008 Bulletin, I mistakenly attributed the two photos of the 2007 show to Stephen Davis. The photos were actually taken by Robert Co and posted to the Gallery of 2007 Show Pictures section of the bacps.org website. I apologize for the mixup.

Photo Credits

Carnivorous Succulents? -- Maximillian Godino; Dirt Day, Catch the Reading Bug -- Larry Logoteta; A Trip to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens -- Chuck Rambo; 2008 show, Summer meeting 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.