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#16
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Smuggling 201
Al wrote:
I know the US has laws against the collection, ownership and sale of native species. How many Americans own native orchids? Or make them a central part of their orchid collections? How many foreigners have our native orchids in their collections? I believe buying native American orchids here in this country is rather hard. Everyone is concerned that they are not wild collected. Yet there are a few vendors of native orchids and their catalogs are pretty sparse compared with the number of native orchids I know of. Why look outside your own borders for 'treasures"? Be careful of comparing apples with oranges. The majority of orchid growers cultivate tropical species, and the majority of North American orchids are hardy species. Of the tropical species native to the U.S. (mostly in Florida), the more spectacular species have indeed been over-collected and require protection. Reading a field guide to Florida orchids is rather depressing in that respect -- even more so when you consider that most of the over-collected species are already available in cultivation. Some of the less spectacular orchids are still fairly common, but the number of growers who would want to devote a greenhouse to things like Epidendrum magnoliae is smaller than the number who want to grow Cattleya hybrids. Therefore, fewer nurseries sell Epi magnoliae. With regard to the hardy North American species, I do not think they are under-represented in cultivation relative to hardy species from Europe and Asia. North American Cypripediums are more readily available that Asian Cyps. The smaller woodland orchids are less common in cultivation, but North American, European, and Asian species seem to be available in cultivation in roughly equal proportions. Some North American species (e.g. Spiranthes odorata) are readily available in general garden centers. AFAIK, federal laws cover only endangered species. Individual states may have laws forbidding collection on public land, but most permit collection on private land _with the permission of the landowner_. I don't know of any laws that forbid the ownership of all native species; I "own" a number of native orchids by default, because they are wild in my backyard. My state (NC) does regulate the private ownership of a very few species that are endangered within the state, but permits are available (at no cost, I think). States may forbid selling collected plants, but they don't seem to limit the sale of artificially propagated native species. For instance, it is very easy to find artificially propagated Encyclia tampensis for sale. Collecting E. tampensis from areas being developed may be fun, but since E. tampensis is well established in cultivation, it is of limited conservation value. The state of Florida may have determined that allowing the salvage and sale of such plants could make it more difficult to detect real poachers. regards, Nick |
#17
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Smuggling 201
That was informative.
As I was typing I was aware of the apples and oranges comparison. The tropical natives didn't even come to mind, however. While I am shopping for plants in Malasiaian markets and I come across mature plants of Paphiopedilum gigantifolium known only to grow in river gorges in the Sulawesi, Indonesia (a different country but a shared common island) and only recently described in 1997 what should I do? This plant, BTW, is (or was) being listed as available from flask in one US nursery online catalog, along with CITES permits if requested. wrote in message oups.com... Al wrote: I know the US has laws against the collection, ownership and sale of native species. How many Americans own native orchids? Or make them a central part of their orchid collections? How many foreigners have our native orchids in their collections? I believe buying native American orchids here in this country is rather hard. Everyone is concerned that they are not wild collected. Yet there are a few vendors of native orchids and their catalogs are pretty sparse compared with the number of native orchids I know of. Why look outside your own borders for 'treasures"? Be careful of comparing apples with oranges. The majority of orchid growers cultivate tropical species, and the majority of North American orchids are hardy species. Of the tropical species native to the U.S. (mostly in Florida), the more spectacular species have indeed been over-collected and require protection. Reading a field guide to Florida orchids is rather depressing in that respect -- even more so when you consider that most of the over-collected species are already available in cultivation. Some of the less spectacular orchids are still fairly common, but the number of growers who would want to devote a greenhouse to things like Epidendrum magnoliae is smaller than the number who want to grow Cattleya hybrids. Therefore, fewer nurseries sell Epi magnoliae. With regard to the hardy North American species, I do not think they are under-represented in cultivation relative to hardy species from Europe and Asia. North American Cypripediums are more readily available that Asian Cyps. The smaller woodland orchids are less common in cultivation, but North American, European, and Asian species seem to be available in cultivation in roughly equal proportions. Some North American species (e.g. Spiranthes odorata) are readily available in general garden centers. AFAIK, federal laws cover only endangered species. Individual states may have laws forbidding collection on public land, but most permit collection on private land _with the permission of the landowner_. I don't know of any laws that forbid the ownership of all native species; I "own" a number of native orchids by default, because they are wild in my backyard. My state (NC) does regulate the private ownership of a very few species that are endangered within the state, but permits are available (at no cost, I think). States may forbid selling collected plants, but they don't seem to limit the sale of artificially propagated native species. For instance, it is very easy to find artificially propagated Encyclia tampensis for sale. Collecting E. tampensis from areas being developed may be fun, but since E. tampensis is well established in cultivation, it is of limited conservation value. The state of Florida may have determined that allowing the salvage and sale of such plants could make it more difficult to detect real poachers. regards, Nick |
#18
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Here we go again! Smuggling 201
On Thu, 19 Jan 2006 08:27:44 -0500, "Ray"
wrote: C'mon Mick. It IS "awards show" time. "Golden Globes" Now I don't know who won the 'outrageous' contest. Ray it is not nice to challenge Mick. SuE http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php |
#19
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Smuggling 201
Al wrote:
While I am shopping for plants in Malasiaian markets and I come across mature plants of Paphiopedilum gigantifolium known only to grow in river gorges in the Sulawesi, Indonesia (a different country but a shared common island) and only recently described in 1997 what should I do? This plant, BTW, is (or was) being listed as available from flask in one US nursery online catalog, along with CITES permits if requested. In my opinion? That's an easy one. Go home and buy a flask or seedling from that nursery, if you are inclined to grow the species. Since the flasks are already available, buying the plant in the market can't be justified on the grounds of conservation. If you buy the plant, you encourage the merchant to buy more collected plants. That encourages the smugglers to rip more out of the wild in Sulawesi. Even if that particular plant ends up as compost, you do less harm by refusing to buy it. If the plant were legally collected in a sustainable manner, the ethical calculus would be somewhat different. I'm thinking of that guy in "Orchid Fever" who collects Cyps in Minnesota. There, you would have to decide whether you agreed with the collectors or with the people who want to replant the cyps in the wild, but ethical people could probably come down on either side of the question. That doesn't seem to be happening with the tropical slippers, though. |
#20
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Here we go again! Smuggling 201
Awww Mommy,
Ray is always leading me into trouble and mind-melding outrageous thoughts down my way into Florida. He should get the spanking... not me. But just in case I do get to pick... well then yes, I would like some golden globes over the pods. Mick ========================== "Susan Erickson" wrote in message ... On Thu, 19 Jan 2006 08:27:44 -0500, "Ray" wrote: C'mon Mick. It IS "awards show" time. "Golden Globes" Now I don't know who won the 'outrageous' contest. Ray it is not nice to challenge Mick. SuE http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php |
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