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N. ventricosa x robcantleyi

Mr Acurite

Mr Acurite

For the past few months, I've had my eye on the N. ventricosa x robcantleyi hybrid from BE, and I have everything I need to care for it, as well as a reasonably large amount I'm willing to spend to get it. The problem is, I live in North America, where, for no reason whatsoever, no CP supplier has it, and the cost to import it is almost 200 dollars, which is absurd. I've been looking around for months, and still can't find it anywhere. I really, really would like to get my hands on one. Ideas? Help?
A Desperate Grower,
Mr Acurite
 
I bought one 18 months ago for about $35, and I gave it away last summer: it was really uninteresting. An unremarkable hybrid, IMO.
 
To each their own, I just really like the color and shape of the peristome. But where did you buy it, and are you in the US?
 
I bought it from Exotic Plants Plus, in NY. But that was over a year and a half ago.
 
Seeing as they no-longer stock it, and no-one else seems to either, I may settle for N. spathulata x robcantleyi from California Carnivores, any suggestions?
 
In the summer I wouldn't be surprised to see a few people trading it/offering it for sale. Given that it's winter, not much is going on trading/sales-wise.
 
I can vouch for the spathulata X robcantleyi hybrid; a much more attractive cross.
 
i have a very nice vent x robc, seems to be my best robc hybrid of the bunch.

to each their own
 
Would growing conditions including 75-60 degree F temps, and about 40-60% humidity be good for either of them?
 
  • #10
yeah, are there decent dips in temp at night?

my neps were slowly hardened off so low humidity doesnt bother em much at all. just gotta ease them into such conditions slowly
 
  • #11
I have one... I got it for $24.75 I think. I know where you can get one and I could PM you if you'd like... If they don't have any left right now, they might have more in early Spring. ;)

I've kept robcantleyi before and seen them even in flawless conditions, and they seem EXTREMELY fussy... Like more fussy than any other Nepenthes. They're probably more fit for the terrarium environment, as mine hated my winter temperatures. Ventricosa x rob, on the other hand, is much easier. Mine often dries out and keeps on growing and producing nice pitchers. It's also right by the door of the greenhouse, so temperature and humidity swings much more from day to night and season to season. It grows quite fast, as well.

Contrary to what Paul said, I kinda enjoy mine. It isn't my favorite, but it my be a personal opinion thing. I like it because it has the ventricosa shape with bigger pitchers and a more fleshy peristome. However, you'll only get that when the plant is mature, which will take a while.

It's definitely not a hybrid to stress over, though. There are much nicer hybrids. This one will likely only look nice when producing upper pitchers, and I think there are many different clones of the hybrid... So even if you do find one online, you may end up with an ugly one.
 
  • #12
If you could PM me where you got it, that'd be great. I don't know why, but I just really like the color of the pitcher when next to the color of the peristome for some reason, and I personally think it's worth the wait to grow.
 
  • #13
After seeing this thread, I did some research and discovered that crosses with N. rob. seem result in a wider range of offspring, in terms of characteristics, than crosses with other Neps. Or, at least, I saw a few threads to that effect. So, perhaps, it has more to do with the luck of the draw for any one plant than for other crosses.
 
  • #14
I'm with NatchGreyes, from the many rc hybrids that i've seen online and a few in person, the desired characteristics were too often washed out or watered down, to a point where I personally wouldnt chance buying an rc hybrid, I would probably have to buy 10 seedling clones in order to get one that looks desirable. There seems to be a very wide pool of variability, more than would normally occur with F1's, which in some ways can lead to the taboo assumption that the make up of rc is more complex than is currently accepted.
 
  • #15
I would suggest, for anyone buying a N. rob. hybrid to first get pictures of the plant with mature pitchers. Much like N. viking (see Sunbelle Exotic's breakdown of that species), it seems like someone will, at some point, start classifying the N. rob. hybrids according to their characteristics. I think it would be really interesting to see the variability of the hybrids, and lead to new information about N. rob.

(On a separate note, anyone know of where I can get an N. rob. for less than $100 or in trade. PM me, please).
 
  • #16
Mostly, I'm looking to purchase the BE 3407 clone, which should be entirely universal in appearance, if I'm not mistaken. Anyways, I'm still most likely going to end up purchasing the spathulata x robcantleyi from California Carnivores, anyways
 
  • #17
My seed-grown N. ventricosa X robcantleyi was a homely thug of a thing; graceless, nearly colorless, and with few redeeming features. It seemed to have collated and expressed all of the least desirable features of each species. I wasted no time in finding it a new home. (Greg has it now, and I think he likes it well enough. It just wasn't to my liking. YMMV)

Because of this experience - like Marc - I'm not going to be buying any more robcantleyi hybrids unless I am buying a specific clone selected for outstanding traits. I have two plants of N. maxima X robcantleyi as well, and I can't say that either (they are both quite distinct) is particularly attractive; I expect I will be looking to find homes for one or both within the year. Mind you, the maxima cross is far more attractive than the ventricosa cross was, IMO.

Addendum: this is my ventricosa X robcantleyi seedling, a few months after I received it:
20120506-072554.jpg


A pallid, ill-defined pitcher that grew more homely as it grew larger. Sometimes ventricosa can bring out remarkable beauty in its progeny, and sometimes it just washes out all the character of the other parent.
 
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  • #18
Mr Acurite, you are correct in that the clones should be universal in appearance.

Whimgrinder, and others, do you happen to have photos of these crosses? I'd be interested in seeing them.
 
  • #19
See above: N. ventricosa X robcantleyi. I haven't bothered to photograph the maxima cross yet.
 
  • #20
Ooph, yeah, I can see why you traded that.
 
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