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Red dragon

I bought a baby red dragon late last season from petflytrap.com.  This spring, it has really started to grow and take shape.  I live in New Hampshire, USA.  The question I have is:  Is it normal for the plant to be more green than red and when should I expect it to become fully red?  If ever...
 
When do you guys think that pft will start selling red dragons?
 
We have some red dragons right now. Don't know how long supply will last.

In answer to the 1st question...Red Dragons need lots of sun to maintain the red color. The more sun they get, the redder they should turn.
 
I saw an entire tray of red dragon plugs while there, act fast, no telling how many of them are already spoke for.
 
Well, thanks for the info. It's still been a little chilly in NH lately but I have been putting them outside on the nicer days. Now that it's starting to warm up a bit, I will make sure to give him some good sun.
 
the website says they're out of stock, is this just a way of limiting their sales of red dragons?
 
no, this is because petflytrap is so busy moving stock that they can't keep up with business. Limiting sales, as a form of conserving stock, goes against the grain of running a succesful business.

There is one tray of red dragons that i know of, it may not be large enough to sell from yet, but I am pretty sure it is. If you want one, call the company, talk to lynda, and get one!
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What is the basis for determining the difference between 'Red Dragon' and "Green Dragon"? The ICPS Database has a description of 'Akai Ryu' {R.Gagliardo} for which the English translation is 'Red Dragon', but there is no description for "Green Dragon". I realize that "Green Dragon" is being widely sold and traded, but has it been formally described and registered as a cultivar? If so, what is the formal published description?
 
  • #10
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (BobZ @ May 22 2003,10:34)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">What is the basis for determining the difference between 'Red Dragon' and "Green Dragon"?  The ICPS Database has a description of 'Akai Ryu' {R.Gagliardo} for which the English translation is 'Red Dragon', but there is no description for "Green Dragon". I realize that "Green Dragon"  is being widely sold and traded, but has it been formally described and registered as a cultivar? If so, what is the formal published description?[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
The green dragon is a plant that was orrigenally bred from crossing a typical and a red dragon.  Ironically, Green Dragons require less fussy conditions to become red faster then red dragons o_O  The best ways to tell the two plants appart is in size, shape and growing requirements.  Red Dragons prefer slightly dryer soils and usually have shorter summer leaf petiols with a sharp angular end (right befor the trap) then the green dragon.  The Green dragon is tolerent to all conditions a typical plant would be tolerent of, but does best in very wet condition with lots of sun.  They usally have larger traps and thinner more rounded petiols then the red dragons.

Also, a full sized Green Dragon is notobly larger then a full sized Red Dragon.

Edit: I believe the formal description is along the lines of 'Of typical nature in growth patterns, but of 'Red Dragon' in coloration'

Basically, The red dragon has sort of become one of those old varients mostly grown because it can produce interesting hybreds with other varients. It is not a healthy plant, so when an almost identical but robust hybred came into existence, it naturally took over the older plants market. Although personally, I'm rather fond of my funny little 'Red Dragon'.
 
  • #11
My red dragons are actually larger than my green dragons, and I haven't noticed too much difference in their general forms, only in coloration: deep madder red for the red dragons vs red with a gold band just below the teeth on the green dragons. All sit happily in tray water in full sun for the season in my conditions.

Bob, I don't believe a description Green Dragon has been published, (I may be wrong&#33
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so maybe you should do the honors :)
 
  • #12
Tamlin, it also was my understanding that the "Green Dragon" VFT has not been formally described or registered. I certainly have not run across it. However, Darcie states that she is quoting or paraphrasing from the "formal description". Darcie, what is the source of your description?
 
  • #13
If memory serves, and quite often, it unfortunately doesn't, the Red Dragon was developed by Atlanta Botanical Gardens. THe moethod for getting the red dragon is to keep crossing redder and redder plants back against each other in order to get redder and redder plants.

If you want another interesting example of this in the animal kingdom (or whatever it's called now ~ nods to darcie~) check out discuss breeding and angel fish breeding on the web, very cool stuff.

Anyhow, because this process usually involves selfing, and seed production from genetically similar plants, the weaknesses of the plant become exagerated over time, making it 'weaker', I think most hobbyists would pretty much gurantee that if you put 5 red dragons and 5 green dragons in the same crowded pots, that eventually, over years, the greens would choke out the reds by outcompeteing them, they are infact, stronger plants. (I think Dente, especially the PFT version of Dente is even stronger, but that's just MHO.)

Any how, the green dragon is a result of crossing a plant on the road to the red dragon back against a typical flytrap in effort to restore vigour to the line, which, I think we can see it did!

Now, that is tnot to say there aer not spectacular red dragons out there, or that red dragons are feeble and bad, they are not, I have some, and I love them.

The only differences I have seen between the clones is coloration, the green dragon, is not supposed to be able to reach 100% red coloration, while the aki-ryu (red dragon) can reach a deep lusterous redish purple. The Green Will always have some red in it. If you buoght your plant from petflytrap, then everyone of you essentially hast he same plant genetics... pretty cool thought huh?
 
  • #14
I have to say that of all of them, Green Dragon is my favorite. Mine are totally deep red/purple except for one band of gold beneath the teeth. It seems a stronger clone than most plants in my collection. Bob, I don't believe this one has been formally registered with the iCPS, although it is possible that a description was published in print at some time...I don't see it listed in the Cp Database, so if this was the case Dr. Schlauer was not made aware of it.
 
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