Some of my NASC auction acquisitions

As I mentioned a bit ago the NASC held its annual benefit auction at Terra Forums about a month ago. I donated several plants, and bid on several plants. I'm still waiting on some of my flytraps to arrive, but I'll just go ahead and post about the plants that have shown up.

First up is the most exciting, and the one for which I paid the most, Pinguicula reticulata.

So small, but so full of promise!

It's not huge now, but it's very attractive when mature. Also, the flowers are beautifully veined.

Another ping with a beautiful flowers is Pinguicula rotundiflora.

Let's see some strikes on those leaves.

I cannot wait until I have a little pot full of these guys in flower. It's adorable. There were lots of leaves to try as pullings when it arrived too, hahahah.

This next plant is Drosera capillaris, which I already have. This, however, is a very different long-arm form, and it came with location data I couldn't resist: Tate's Hell Swamp.

I had to get at least one sundew.

I've said it before, but Drosera capillaris is a very underrated species.

The grower from whom I received the P. rotundiflora and the D. capillaris (as well as a Pinguicula debbertiana that, alas, didn't survive shipping) sort of messed up shipping, and in his second package he sent along a handsome bonus: Drosera slackii!

When it rains it pours I guess.

I'm really hoping this is a different clone from the one I got from California Carnivores recently. That would leave the possibility of someday getting seed, if I provide excellent conditions and get lucky.

This last acquisition is actually one I split with my friend Anne, who works at the Cactus Jungle. It's a seedling plug of several little baby Sarracenia leucophylla f. viridescens, aka anthocyanin-free S. leucophylla.

Sarracenia seedlings take longer, but that just builds anticipation!

Little babies! I'm going to grow them out a bit under my lights and then we'll divide the plug between us. These are going to look awesome in a couple years, see if they don't!

I can't think of anything better than buying carnivorous plants for charity, hahahah.

Ch'ien Lee at California Carnivores

Yesterday was a big day – the much-acclaimed wildlife photographer and Nepenthes authority Ch'ien Lee gave a presentation at California Carnivores.

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.

Sweet bromeliad display.

Huge Sarracenia 'Deep Throat' – the pitcher mouth was as wide as my fist.

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.

This is Dionaea 'Sunrise'.

Dionaea 'Werewolf', a tissue culture mutant.

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.

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.

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.