Byblis cuttings experiment - inspired by a friend

[cindy]

Notice the upper portion with green leaves and the lower portion with the dead leaves


This is a portion of the stem with green leaves still intact. It is now producing two offshoots (the reddish large one on the right and a small one to the left).


Somehow cutting at the area which no longer has fresh green leaves kills off the main stem.

This one has turned completely brown.


This one is drying up from the cut end.


The growing tips which were cut off.

This is doing well, leaves are still firm.


This one is going, going...the leaves have gone limp.

[Brian Barnes]

Hi Cindy,
Is that Byblis liniflora you are experimenting with? It looks like it...
It's great that you're experimenting with it also! Feel free to read my Byblis article, if you like. You can find it here on the Florida Carnivorous Plant Society website;

www.floridacarnivorousplantsociety.org/thebyblischronicles.htm

Happy Growing,
Brian.

[cindy]

Thanks, Brian for the link.

When you take cuttings from your "Goliath", is it just the leaf or the growing tip? I tried some leaf cuttings too. They were laid on live sphagnum moss. I have no prior experience with them so I won't how they will turn out.

Oops, forgot to add. It is B. liniflora. The other species are a little more tricky to grow in our year round hot weather.

[Brian Barnes]

Hi Cindy,
It's the growing tip that i use and depth-wise, I always make sure that at least three internodes or "spaces" between the leafs are buried in the sphagnum. To my knowledge though, Byblis liniflora will not root from any sort of cuttings, including leaf cuttings.
But please keep experimenting by all means!!! That's how I discovered "Goliath" is by thinking "outside the box"
To my knowledge, Byblis "Goliath" is the only form that will root from cuttings.
Happy Growing,
Brian.

[cindy]

Hi Brian,

Here is the thread which inspired me to try and take cuttings of B. liniflora.

forum.petpitcher.com/showthread.php?t=258

David has got good success with the species.

Cindy

[Brian Barnes]

Ahhh....Very fascinating!
I've waited a long time to hear of results like this from other growers!
Cindy, I do not think that what he is experimenting with is in fact, Byblis liniflora. There's way two much distance between leaf nodes, which show a thick, tall and elongated central trunk forming habit which is not typically present in Byblis liniflora.
In fact, I'd be quite interested in seeing the flower pedicels of his plants....He just may be unknowingly be following my footsteps in a way!
I truly believe that there is much more to learn about this genus and that so much seed has been haphazardly collected in the wild and distributed under the wrong species names, that one may never truly be able to figure the puzzle out! I theorize that this Genus has more complex hybrids than one can shake a stick at!
For example, based on conversations with Jan Slauer, Byblis "Goliath" actually has the combined traits of Byblis filifolia and Byblis aquatica and could possibly be of hybrid origin.
Keep me updated on your success.
Happy Growing,
Brian.

[cindy]

Brian, is B. liniflora a rather short and compact plant? On Wikipedia, it says that it is about 6". In Singapore, we have seen plants which grow a foot tall.

From what you know, what do you reckon my friend's plant be? I'll check with him further about the flowers.

[cindy]

Three out of four growth tip cuttings survived. ;D

The oldest and most established.

[Brian Barnes]

Hi Cindy,
Looking good! Try keeping it just a little on the drier side and you'll see growth at a much quicker rate...
Happy Growing,
Brian.

[cindy]

Following Brian's advice, I repotted the cutting into media (peat/sand mix) which can be kept drier.

The same cutting as showed in my previous post.




The roots formed in LFS/perlite.


Looking very established in old media. ;D

[Brian Barnes]

Hi Cindy,
Excellent! Your plant is looking more established...Great photo of the root formation. I'm curious to see the flowers in detail, when it occurs. I can tell you though, it's most definitely not Byblis liniflora.
Happy Growing,
Brian.