JeanLux
Well-Known Member
All has already been said John, and yes, it is a beauty !!!! Jean
Paph. tigrinum 'Dana'
- Thread starter John M
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John M
Orchid Addict
Well, okay. But, what happened to all their plants? They're collection went way beyond being just another private commercial collection. The gene pool in their care had HUGE significant importance for the whole orchid world. They worked so hard to be the best and have the best and they absolutely achieved that goal. Their collection had practically gotten to the point of being a national treasure. I hope that as their interest in horses grew, that they continued to care for their plants properly over the years. But really, it makes no difference if the collection is no longer used for propagation. Lost to obscurity is just as bad as lost by dying. I have not heard of anybody buying stock plants from Antec and I've not heard of their stock being made avaiable to other commercial growers for propagation. Have I missed something? Or, did they and their collection simply disappear completely from the orchid world? God knows that in this day and age, governments are not going to step up and provide funding to maintain gene pools like Antec's collection. The responsibility is all up to the individual growers and nurseries that own the best of the best and the rarest plants to preserve the gene pool for the future.
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Interesting, and GORGEOUS!
C
Cheyenne
Guest
I also would like to know what happened to antec. I have asked around to other vendors and nobody really had a answer. Bob doesn't seem to post anywhere anymore. The best answer I got from anyone was "there just not around anymore", what the heck does that mean?
e-spice
Well-Known Member
There was an email on that horse posting. If someone here knows them enough they should drop them a line to see what's going on. I agree w/John, it seemed that the collection was a spectacular one and I am really curious if they're still maintaining it.
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He was around here for a bit but not since like
'07. Haven't heard much. Did just send a friend request to Steve Topletz, who also hasn't been around for a long time. Maybe he knows. Then again, it doesn't look like he's been around FB since 2011. Only reason I was convinced it was the right guy was he's friends with Guido.
'07. Haven't heard much. Did just send a friend request to Steve Topletz, who also hasn't been around for a long time. Maybe he knows. Then again, it doesn't look like he's been around FB since 2011. Only reason I was convinced it was the right guy was he's friends with Guido.
Trithor
Chico (..... the clown)
John, how has the flower held up? Are the petals still held as flat as they were when it was first posted?
John M
Orchid Addict
Yes, the flower still looks exactly like it does in the photo. It was fully open and settled into it's final shape when I took the photograph. It looks no different now.
I really appreciate everyone's nice comments. It's made me realize even more how beautiful and special it really is. Thanks all.
I really appreciate everyone's nice comments. It's made me realize even more how beautiful and special it really is. Thanks all.
emydura
Well-Known Member
Award quality John. You should get it judged.
M
McPaph
Guest
It looks really nice John. Love it
G
goldenrose
Guest
Nice growing John - a beaut!!!:drool::drool::drool:
Leo Schordje
wilted blossom
First, I am certain Bob and Lynn are well aware of the value of the genetic gene pool that exists (existed) in there collection. To what ever extent possible I am sure Bob & Lynn have done their best to preserve this collection.
I have not had contact with them since about 2010 or earlier. Life interferes with the best of plans. Bob will revive AnTec when he has the time to. That is why they switched to selling on Ebay, they could put up or take down their store as time permitted. (time issues were multiple, including foreign travel, work etc)
I do not know how much of their collection they have retained. It is their private matter. I am certain they know the value of the genetics they collected. Genetics were specialties of both Bob and Lynn (one or more PhD's in this partnership) Bob's professional specialty was designing/developing vaccines.
This leads me to my point. If you want to preserve a species, it must be preserved in its natural habitat. Captive populations (my basement light garden, private collections, public collections) do not survive long term. Even the best intentioned grower will have something go wrong. If you do the research, you will find only a few clones of any species that have survived longer than 25 years in captivity. Even fewer have made the 100 year mark. Majority fall victim to one accidental cause of death or another. I will list a few catastrophies that have killed entire collections, I won't cite who out of respect for privacy. Greenhouse freezes, or Greenhouse overheating, water shortage during local drought, sudden exotic fungi outbreak, fatal contaminate in a batch of fungicide, a political election rewarding the guy who should be mowing lawns with the job of curating the orchids, putting the orchid curator on mowing lawns-one massive public collection failure, divorce, heart attack, stroke, cancer, people often don't realize that as they get sick they don't take as good care of the plants as they should. By the time they wake up and say "I got to do something" its may be too late for the rarest of the collections. In the case of sudden death of a grower, survivors often don't know that they have to act quickly to save the plants. Can't wait for the local Orchid Society members auction 6 months later. Need I go on? I can cite names and dates and some of the material lost for each scenario I posed. Once a plant is removed from the wild, it is gone, functionally dead.
Public collections are no better than individuals. I have seen the local botanic garden kill off an entire semi-trailer load of orchids, one plant at a time, so that in less than 10 years not a single surviving plant of a major collection remaind. Once a plant is ripped from the wild, functionally that unique combo of DNA is lost to the species gene pool for good. Don't kid yourselves by thinking somehow that collection of species you have is somehow 'saving' the species from extinction. It is not. The fantasy is pure delusion. The only way to preserve a species is to preserve sufficient natural habitat that it can keep a self sustaining population can thrive on its own without human intervention. As Guido would say. Full Stop, end of sentance.
So in summary, I do have a collection of species orchids. I do not kid myself that this is somehow saving those species from extinction. I recognize that my species collection, especially in the case of the clones I have that may have been wild collected originally, have further contributed to the decline and possible extinction of a species. There is no moral good being done by having a species collection.
But the good news is, that by propagating species from seed, in quantity, we can lower collection pressure on wild populations. Phrag besseae was under huge collection pressure until the seed raised populations drove the price down. Now nobody needs to get a collected plant, for less than $50, often for less than $30 one can have a nice besseae with intense color and good form. No need to collect.
Paph tigrinum has proven difficult for just about all growers. There is a need to develop seed populations to get a strain going that is adapted to our horticulture. John is on the right path with his and I am certain he will make seedlings when he thinks the plant is healthy enough to do so.
End of soap box rant & great growing John. Nice tigrinum, one of the better ones I've seen.
Lovely tigrinum - to flower this beauty in the end was worth all of your efforts !
John M
Orchid Addict
Thanks again for all your nice comments everyone.
Wow, Leo. Bummer commments! That's a very grim point of view and very much out of place in this thread. The term "Full Stop, end of Sentence" simply does not apply here. Nobody's opinion is that concrete and indisputable. There's plenty of room for debate on a number of your points. For one thing, you've commented in the wrong context. I was not expressing worry about the survival of plant species and their possible extinction. I was talking about the survival of plants (species and hybrids), that are important to the horticultural world ("orchid world"), meaning the plants in captivity which we must rely upon to produce future generations for us to grow and enjoy. My comments had nothing to do with the long-term survival of species, or conservation. MY concern was for the future availability of desireable plants (species and hybrids) and their progeny that will be available to hobbyists in the future. So, your "rant" is seriously out of place here.
'Seems to me that it would've been better to start your own, new thread. If you would like to continue your doom and gloom commmentary, I ask you to do it in a new thread instead of hijacking this thread. Thanks.
Wow, Leo. Bummer commments! That's a very grim point of view and very much out of place in this thread. The term "Full Stop, end of Sentence" simply does not apply here. Nobody's opinion is that concrete and indisputable. There's plenty of room for debate on a number of your points. For one thing, you've commented in the wrong context. I was not expressing worry about the survival of plant species and their possible extinction. I was talking about the survival of plants (species and hybrids), that are important to the horticultural world ("orchid world"), meaning the plants in captivity which we must rely upon to produce future generations for us to grow and enjoy. My comments had nothing to do with the long-term survival of species, or conservation. MY concern was for the future availability of desireable plants (species and hybrids) and their progeny that will be available to hobbyists in the future. So, your "rant" is seriously out of place here.
'Seems to me that it would've been better to start your own, new thread. If you would like to continue your doom and gloom commmentary, I ask you to do it in a new thread instead of hijacking this thread. Thanks.
Interesting view point, Leo. Food for thought.
SlipperKing
Madd Virologist
I have to go along with John in that Leo got a little carried away. The problem I had with Antec, is making their selves a rescue center then dropped the ball.
As for preservation goes, I got the plants now what do I do with them? Well what little I can do, I try my hardest to grow them the best I can (hence, ST) to a point I can divide and distribute divisions as wide and far as possible with hope the plants will live long past me. Leo, you should know that. By the way, how is that richteri doing? The praestans you sent is really doing great!
I also concentrate on hybridizing species only these days for the same purpose, distribution.
As for preservation goes, I got the plants now what do I do with them? Well what little I can do, I try my hardest to grow them the best I can (hence, ST) to a point I can divide and distribute divisions as wide and far as possible with hope the plants will live long past me. Leo, you should know that. By the way, how is that richteri doing? The praestans you sent is really doing great!
I also concentrate on hybridizing species only these days for the same purpose, distribution.
Trithor
Chico (..... the clown)
Ouch Leo, bad hair day?
Good growing John!
Good growing John!
John M
Orchid Addict
Well, I bit the bullet and cut the stem. The plant had a leaf that felt just a little bit soft. I do not want to overtax it and since it was a small plant, I decided the sacrifice now would be good in the long run. I cut the stem a few days ago; but, tigrinum flowers don't do well as cut flowers. I expected to be able to enjoy it for a couple weeks; but, it's done already. After cutting the petals drooped, while the dorsal didn't! 'Looked really "hound dog-ish". The plant is fine and will now concentrate on maturing those two new growths. I'll self it the next time it blooms. This time was too soon.
Leo Schordje
wilted blossom
Sorry John, you are right. Your point is accepted, and I apologize. I wasn't thinking about context. Your point triggered a whole rant, that really did not belong in your thread. I will promise to try to make myself step away from the keyboard when I feel a rant come on. It wasn't about you, rather that 'larger issues' and did not belong in your thread.
Please accept my apology.
By the way, I do mean it. Your tigrinum looks to be one of the best flowers I have seen for the species, good presentation. Many with wide petals do not have the petals face the viewer, they tend to twist upward. Yours is true an exceptional clone. Well grown too.
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