Yesterday was a big day – the much-acclaimed wildlife photographer and
Nepenthes authority
Ch'ien Lee gave a presentation at
California Carnivores.
![In addition to being accomplished, intelligent, and well-traveled, Ch'ien Lee is also very handsome. It's almost too much. Ch'ien Lee at California Carnivores.](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7714/17104610226_0774bab491_c.jpg) |
Ch'ien Lee at the beginning of his talk. |
Ch'ien is an amazing photographer (seriously, go check out
his website) and has traveled throughout the remotest parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, New Guinea, and the Philippines. I hope it's not another 6 years before he comes back to the States! His presentation wasn't just pretty pictures either – there were lessons on geography, plate tectonics, and the history of science, along with great little vignettes about everything from orangutans to
Cordyceps fungi, all with photo illustrations (of course).
Before and after the presentation, I wandered around California Carnivores, saying hi to the
Carnivore Girl and others, and checking out all the sweet plants.
![I feel like this is what people always want carnivorous plants to look like. Bromeliad display at California Carnivores.](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7640/16943033370_082cfa7071_c.jpg) |
Sweet bromeliad display. |
![The picture does not do this plant justice at all. It was more than 3 (~1m) tall. Sarracenia 'Deep Throat'](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7683/16510396873_d4fed8eab3_c.jpg) |
Huge Sarracenia 'Deep Throat' – the pitcher mouth was as wide as my fist. |
![I really wanted this plant. Oh well. Forbearance is a virtue, I guess. Sarracenia flava.](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8761/17128995722_1e02d78196_c.jpg) |
I was very tempted by this Sarracenia flava with the exaggerated point on its lid. |
Damon and Daniela also gave Maria and I a peek at all the new weird flytraps Damon got from Europe last year and which they're starting to put into production.
![Maria was also quite taken with these new flytraps. They were pretty cool. Dionaea 'Sunrise'](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7641/17129923661_1c1fe1f983_c.jpg) |
This is Dionaea 'Sunrise'. |
![I understand that some people don't like the mutants, but this one is pretty cool. Dionaea 'Werewolf'](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8696/16943025690_f3c1abe860_c.jpg) |
Dionaea 'Werewolf', a tissue culture mutant. |
![The coloration on this plant is fucking stellar. Dionaea "Mega Traps"](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8765/16508136484_1d6e601c0a_c.jpg) |
This Dionaea "Mega Traps" was more beautiful than weird. |
I wasn't able to buy as many plants as I had planned (I've spent a lot of money getting some camping gear lately), but I did come away with two very cool acquisitions. First, they finally managed to find me a
Drosera slackii.
![This plant was high up on my want list. Glad to finally have it at home! Drosera slackii.](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7631/16943028530_7c6ed90258_c.jpg) |
Finally! Can't wait to grow/propagate this guy. |
I'd been trying to buy a
D. slackii from California Carnivores for the better part of a year, but somehow they never got around to repotting their leaf cuttings. Then they found this beautiful plant somewhere in the back. It's great!
I also picked up this
Sarracenia hybrid, because, well, it looked sort of dumb.
![Something something yodeling something. That's gotta be the name. Check back when I come up with something good. Sarracenia purpurea ssp. venosa var. burkii × (×wrigleyana × leucophylla).](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8824/17104613156_2609ede910_c.jpg) |
I'll need to find a succinct way to refer to this plant. |
This is
Sarracenia purpurea ssp.
venosa var.
burkii × (×
wrigleyana ×
leucophylla). When I showed it to my roommate, he laughed out loud. I can't wait to grow this out more to see if the pitchers stay this silly. I really hope so.
What a fun day! Checking out those Dionaea cultivars was worth the trip alone.
ReplyDeleteAs for your dumb looking plant, I think S. x Dumbface is appropriate.