My growing collection of neps

[Ertiocx]

I picked up my first Nepenthes a year ago when I saw a small Nepenthes x ventrata in a clearance bin at Loblaw's.
After growing this for some time, I felt confident enough to start adding some more plants to my collection.



N. veitchii (BE-4033):

• Received Apr 2022
• Has since grown 2 new leaves and looks like it's starting to pitcher.

N. lowii x ventricosa (Colasanti's):

• Picked up at a local garden center in early May 2022. Colasanti's say they grow an unlabeled mix of N. alata, N. x 'Rebecca soper' and N. lowii x ventricosa. I found this one mixed in with a pile of the others.
• Just about to open its first new pitcher

The rest of these are neps I received just today, so I can't comment on them but I am very excited to watch them grow.

N. (veitchii x lowii) x (burbidgeae x edwardsiana) (BE-3980):

• Received June 2022
• Already showing some nice teeth and stripes

N. robcantleyi (BE-3517):

• I like truncate leaves and I like big pitchers.

Not pictured:

• N. x 'Bloody Mary'
• N. ventricosa (BE-3278)

 

[Ertiocx]

These ones were received today from @Jake Chickenbark.

N. clipeata:



N. truncata:



That's all for now.

 

[Ertiocx]

Here's a timelapse of the first new pitcher opening on my lowii x ventricosa over 48h

 

[Ertiocx]

UV excitation fun

Photos taken under white light or UV-A (365 nm) excitation.

• Excitation source: Nichia NCSU276CT 365 nm LED (https://led-ld.nichia.co.jp/api/data/spec/tech/NCSU276C-E.pdf)
• Excitation filter: ZWB2 UV-pass (http://optima-usa.net/78)
• Emission filter: N/A

Chlorophyll fluoresces red, while many cell wall associated components and waxes fluoresce blue-green.

Read more: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7288016/

Insects can see light in the UV-orange (300-650 nm) range and are most sensitive to blue light.

Nepenthes peristomes absorb UV light and fluoresce bright blue, which helps attract the attention of insects.

Read more: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1438-8677.2012.00709.x

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/scie...-ultraviolet-light-to-attract-prey-180948058/

 

[Lloyd Gordon]

What uv band is the bulb?

 

[Ertiocx]

What uv band is the bulb?

365 nm UV-A (Nichia NCSU276CT)

 

[Dogrem]

I love it!

 

[Ertiocx]

Here's another photo with 365 nm UV excitation.

My lowii x ventricosa's newly opened pitcher. There are some neat glowing blue balls at the ends of each trichome.


Here's a bit of live sphagnum. Not as exciting as I thought it might be.

 

[Ertiocx]

N. truncata's newest pitcher has inflated and is filling up with liquid.

 

[Ertiocx]

Freshly opened truncata, now with stripes.

 

[TamsyPlants]

Love the UV light photos!!

 

[Ertiocx]

[laughs in fresh pitchers]


N. truncata continuing to open up and develop striping.



N. veitchii's very first pitcher just opened this morning. Can't wait to see how it develops.

 

[Dogrem]

Very nice stripes on the truncata!

 

[Trapper J]

Wow! Those are gorgeous. You obviously are hooked on the Neps. My first Nep (lowii x ventricosa) arrives this week. After reading your posts it's obvious how alluring these amazing plants can be. Love the UV filter. Finally I can imagine what the bugs see. Now I have to find my long buried UV light. It has a simple light spectrum but I'm curious to see if anything shows up.

 

[Ertiocx]

Fun stuff. Time elapsed ~13 h.
More UV photos once these new pitchers colour up some more.

 

[Ertiocx]

Check out these nectaries under the lid.

 

[Lloyd Gordon]

I'm surprised Google didn't change that to nectarines.

 

[Trapper J]

It looks like Neon signs for night-owl insects. "Oh look .. the Bistro is open"!

 

[Dogrem]

That's a fantastic view of what "could" see insects.
It's like only the peristome and the nectar glands are important.

The pattern on and under the lid disappears
The pattern inside the pitcher disappears
The stripes on the peristome disappear

 

[Ertiocx]

I'm hyped.