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Please donate Lecanopteris spores to the AFS spore exchange

I mentioned in the thread on Lecanopteris sinuosa that I've had great (preliminary) success with spores from the American Fern Society (AFS) spore exchange. The AFS is cheap to join ($15) and spores packets are nominal (50 cents). Moreover, the available species can be viewed by all. Additionally, the person (Brian Aikins) who runs the spore exchange, is incredibly generous with advice. All in all, the way a spore (or seed) exchange should be run.

Here's a link to the AFS spore exchange:

http://amerfernsoc.org/sporexyy.html

And the actual list of available spores:

http://amerfernsoc.org/sporelist.html

I asked Brian, the director of the spore exchange, if they ever offered Lecanopteris species besides Lecanopteris sinuosa. He told me that growers of "rare" plants are often reluctant to share their plants. I find this sad, and hopefully not an attitude shared by most members of this forum.

So I'm encouraging people to donate to the spore exchange--really anything they don't have, but Lecanopteris species specifically. The hopeful effect is that the AFS spore echange will be as much of a resource for Lecanopteris species as it is for Cyatheas (one genus of tree ferns, 23 species listed), or Platyceriums (at leaf 10 species, plus cultivars plus hybrids).

Hopefully people on this forum can help, and get either other spores in exchange, or for nominal amounts.

If anyone wants details of what they might get in exchange, or how much might be required in the way of fronds/spores, please contact me, or better, the AFS spore exchange. Again, interacting with them is easy and painless. Hopefully people can help--and benefit from an increasingly diverse species list!

By the way, I will personally be donating Woodwardia orientalis spores. If anyone has an interest in the species, it also makes tons of bulbils/plantlets. If anyone wants some, please contact me to work something out.

Randy
 
Thanks for the info! I have a Lecanopteris mirabilis making fertile fronds at the moment...
 
I am currently working with Brian Aikens to develop the fern collection at UGA, and let me just say that he is enthusiastic, dedicated, and an all-around great person that deserves any help he can get. His entire house is filled with hundreds of species of ferns, and he's made so many improvements to the AFS exchange. Any species at all is welcome (including ferns native/hardy to where you are!), and Lecanopteris especially so. Lecanopteris is such a cool genus, and not readily available. It's important to generate more material for cultivation. The clones on the market currently are tissue-cultured and the genus needs more diversity out there!

While you have to be a member to benefit from the spore exchange, you don't have to become a member to make a donation. It's very simple to send spores in your average envelope.
 
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My Lecanopteris mirabilis is dropping spores all over the place. I didn't realize they were in demand. I'm happy to donate, though I wish I knew how to sow a few myself.
 
It would entirely be worth your while to get Brian Aikens to germinate the spores, and then perhaps in a few months he could ship back plantlets. And at the very least, he can hook you up with some great resources concerning how to start ferns from spores. The guy is a fern master and has over 700 species of ferns in his house. I don't want to speak for him of course, but having corresponded with him at length, this seems like something that would be right up his alley. He is awesome and great to work with. I think the benefit of a potential L mirabilis donation would be much appreciated by AFS.
 
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