Re: Philodendron santa leopoldina

Gee, does the society really want to make $ by keeping species close to extinction? I'd sure feel guilty if my rare plant died after I refused to clone it - and God knows rare plants do die easily (that's a major reason why they are rare). Hopefully someone can envision a plan where everyone wins, including the owner and the beleaguered species.

Would it not be possible, for example, to give a commission on each clone sold to the owner of the mother plant? That is what is done with orchids that are mericloned. $5 on each plant sold for the first 120 plants would cover the $600. Then the owner would have a free specimen, lots of us would have babies, and extinction would be averted.

John Smolowe
Menlo Park, CA

Betsy Feuerstein wrote:

I hear what you are saying, but I who just paid my left arm to get this plant, would just as soon we wait for the next millennium to do it. Those of us who have paid a fortune for it would think twice about such most likely. Also, it certainly would cut in the society's pocketbook take from the auctions. Just a personal come back to this discussion.

Betsy

"john s. smolowe" wrote:

In his recent Aroidiana article on Philodendron spiritus-sancti, aka Philodendron santa leopoldina (the rare, desirable variety) Eduardo Goncalves suggests the species be made widely available by micropropagation. I emailed him and he wrote back:

"I am just aware that there are no more
than 5 known plants of P. spiritus-sancti in the wild. It can be considered
almost extinct in the wild. I would love to see it being micropropagated,
because it will remain as an amazing plant, even if it was being sold at
K-Mart! Unfortunately, I do not have the facilities here, and I also do not
have a living plant of it myself. That collected plant were donated to a
private conservatory that has the proper infra-structure to grow it. Well, I think there are
more plants of P. spiritus-sancti in the US than in Brazil (even considering
the wild specimens!)."

I'd be interested in contributing to a fund to make that happen. Does anyone know the practical details? I suppose we'd have to find and deal with an appropriate lab, and also find a willing owner of the correct plant.

John Smolowe
Menlo Park, CA

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