I haven't heard anyone state the obvious yet - that CITES is a primitive, misguided mistake that should be corrected. Its results are as devastating as the results of prohibition where the net result was to increase alcoholism and create a class of mobsters. The problem is that there are nowhere near the resources available to do something useful in species conservation so they did something stupid instead. "When the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail". Recently I investigated having American chestnut tissue culture done in a Canadian lab that specializes in hardwoods. But I wouldn't be allowed to bring it back to the states EVEN IN FLASK because of the risk of chestnut blight (virtually non-existent in Canada and 110 years too late) and the chestnut gall wasp (non-existent in Canada and 30 years too late). Frankly, I think civil disobedience is in order wherever feasible. Tim -----Original Message----- From: pbs [mailto:pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Hannon Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2014 11:19 PM To: Pacific Bulb Society Subject: [pbs] Sharing seeds of rare plants Jane brings up some challenging aspects of enjoying and sharing rare bulbs. I have been involved in several rare plant restoration projects (not bulbs) and have an interest in cultivating uncommon bulbs so will add a few comments on a complicated subject. When someone puts forth the idea that there is a supposed risk of hybridization or genetic erosion of a rare plant held in captivity in private hands it presupposes, among other possibilities, that 1) the cultivated plants are being grown in proximity to a wild population that could be contaminated, or 2) the cultivated material will be used in future restoration projects to help a particular species. Both of these scenarios are exceedingly unlikely for any particular species. In consideration of conservation issues, why should there be any restriction on any cultivated rare plant that has been artificially propagated? This is where CITES, in not regarding nursery grown plants as procedurally distinct from wild-collected plants, fails to balance the needs of people and plants. Some plants are at risk from over-collecting certainly, but the far greater threat to rare plants-- all plants-- is habitat alteration or destruction. That is a much more difficult problem to subdue than supposed transgressions of the nursery trade and collectors. No one can say what is the harm in gathering a pinch of seed from any population of plants, rare or otherwise. Since bona fide seed banks regularly collect seed from populations of endangered species with scientific guidance we could assume that sampling per se is not harmful. Should collecting wild material of a rare species for a purpose other than authorized conservation work be illegal? Who decides what is appropriate utilization of these resources? Only by cultivating rare plants can we learn the skills needed to supply market demand (e.g., Cypripedium reginae, Tecophilaea cyanocrocus) and at the same time be able to assist restoration efforts of those same species. Expert horticultural ability is not in the skillet of the biologists, ecologists and land managers who take up reintroduction work directly. This is one of their greatest weaknesses for project success and also an opportunity to build bridges. At the same time, we should remember that reintroduction work adheres to strict scientific guidelines for the long and complex process of outplanting experiments. "Horticultural" material of rare plants, even when documented, would only very rarely be considered for such work. In this sense our beloved plants are not conservation material but they are just as important in their role as the subject of an essential human endeavor. It is debatable if the display or availability of rare or endangered (listed) plants risks someone being inspired to then go out and take plants or seeds from the wild. A much more likely and demonstrable outcome is that cultivated rare plants inspire people to appreciation (apart from growing) of precious natural resources and raise awareness of the importance of conservation and stewardship. Those who would advocate that stewardship should be restricted solely to nature management need to provide a sound argument for that position and explain where the importance of rarity trails off and we can then justify the asters, daylilies and liquidambars all around us. "*Do we have a moral duty, then, to abandon **Fritillaria liliacea or Erythronium elegans to extinction?*" Jane, I think that would be abandonment of moral duty. Dylan Hannon *"The greatest service which can be rendered any country is to add an useful plant to its culture..." --**Thomas Jefferson*