[MPWG] Fw: Pink Lady's Slipper cultivation
Patricia_DeAngelis at fws.gov
Patricia_DeAngelis at fws.gov
Thu Apr 26 08:24:27 CDT 2007
Hi Tony!
Thanks for your message. I just want to clarify that Gary is asking about
cultivation information. This e-mail was not an announcement of listing
action.
The "article" below is an excerpt from the "Plants" button on the MPWG
website (which is called Green Medicine, <www.nps.gov/plants/medicinal>).
The information is a bit dated as it was written a few years back and I
hope that we can soon update it.
According to the NatureServe website
(http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/), which is an important source of
information for the federal government, the global status of this species
is secure.
U.S. & Canada State/Province Status
United States
Alabama (S3), Connecticut (SNR), Delaware (S5), District of Columbia
(SNR), Georgia (S4), Illinois (S1), Indiana (S3), Kentucky (S4), Maine
(SNR), Maryland (SNR), Massachusetts (SNR), Michigan (SNR), Minnesota
(SNR), New Hampshire (SNR), New Jersey (S4), New York (S4), North Carolina
(S5), Ohio (SNR), Pennsylvania (SNR), Rhode Island (S4), South Carolina
(SNR), Tennessee (S4), Vermont (SNR), Virginia (S5), West Virginia (S5),
Wisconsin (SNR)
Canada
Alberta (S3), Labrador (SU), Manitoba (S4), New Brunswick (S4S5),
Newfoundland Island (S4), Northwest Territories (SNR), Nova Scotia (S5),
Ontario (S5), Prince Edward Island (S5), Quebec (S5), Saskatchewan (S4?)
It's important to be cautious in using this information as it is not
complete about this information as it is not complete (State-by-state
status varies from no information to secure) and may not have been updated
recently (the status hasn't changed since 1984; the status was reviewed in
2002). But, it's important to note the listing in Appendix II of CITES
makes it illegal to export without a permit - not illegal to export.
I think you are absolutely right that issues such as fair trade, community
forestry, sustainable livelihoods should not be thought of as something
you do abroad. Our country needs to be more introspective, we need to
stop sending our graduate students overseas to do their research, we need
to have more US-based development/funding programs that facilitate
opportunities for value-added medicinal plant products WITHIN the regions
that they are harvested, we need to do a better job of tracking and
accounting for the monetary value of medicinal plants to our economies and
livelihoods, we need to value the harvesters and the products a lot more
than we do.
Unfortunately, I don't have the time to pull something together, but would
I'd be interested in seeing more information on the effect of habitat
destruction on medcinal plants - are you aware of any recent information
or analysis that could serve as a starting point?
Thank you,
-Patricia
Patricia S. De Angelis, Ph.D.
Botanist - Division of Scientific Authority
Chair - Plant Conservation Alliance - Medicinal Plant Working Group
US Fish & Wildlife Service
4401 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 750
Arlington, VA 22203
703-358-1708 x1753
FAX: 703-358-2276
Working for the conservation and sustainable use of our green natural
resources.
<www.nps.gov/plants/medicinal>
Tony Hayes <herbalogic at yahoo.com>
04/25/2007 11:28 PM
To
Patricia_DeAngelis at fws.gov, mpwg at lists.plantconservation.org
cc
Subject
Re: [MPWG] Fw: Pink Lady's Slipper cultivation
I am reminded of the fiasco we had back in the eighties when FWS and CITES
decided to list this and other Orchid species under Appendix II.
The federal register came out with the OSA finding and suddenly a few
States including Georgia over reacted and immediately forbid any legal
trade in these plants.
Ironically there was a very successful cultivation of C. acaule going on
in North Georgia until it became illegal to sell the plant material due to
the plants CITES listing and the States reaction to same.
The company I worked for at the time had old Lady Slipper stock that was
grandfathered so we applied for and received an export permit but our
customer in Germany had to apply for an import permit and it was not
issued until after our original permit expired and we were not allowed to
renew so we moved it out bit by bit domestically over a long period of
time.
We basically gave up on producing it in the US. Then I got involved with a
group in Quebec that did some timber thinning and other minimal site
manipulation that lead to increased populations of this and some other
targeted understory species back in the nineties but it didn't pay off
either.
Now as stated below in the " Greeen Machine" article there is a very
limited commercial market demand for "poor man's Valerian". It's hard
enough to make a living growing V. officinalis in this country, anyway
that's another story.
I just returned from another road trip today to pick up a few roots. Got
up at 5:30 AM and back home around 8:30 PM after driving through the
Appalachians. It is obvious that clear cutting timber for strip mining,
shopping centers, multi-lane highways and worst of all mountain top
removal among other development is depleting our habitat and destroying
more flora than we can imagine.
I can supply seed or cuttings for many at risk species but they can't make
it on asphalt and concrete.
I would ask our Public officials and CITES representatives to consider
looking more at the large natural resource corporations and developers
instead of the lower income rural families to solve this dilemma.
Listing species on CITES is not a silver bullet to saving them from a few
diggers as a matter of fact if they were not recognized by a few for there
potential they would probably not be as prolific as they are in many
cases.
Industry and consumers need to understand that "Fair Trade" needs to apply
not only to "3rd world" and "developing economies" but to rural Appalachia
and other rural parts of North America as well. Maybe if we consider this
going forward a few poor folks in Southern Appalachia can cultivate these
plants legally and profitably once again as they did before some well
meaning person in a glass cage with a degree and a computer came along and
fixed it for them.
Best regards,
Tony
Patricia_DeAngelis at fws.gov wrote:
Forwarding a question from someone about Pink Lady's Slipper cultivation.
Please respond directly to Gary Crivellone: <gary1star at comcast.net>
----- Forwarded by Patricia De Angelis/ARL/R9/FWS/DOI on 04/25/2007 01:38
PM -----
"Pacific Federal Resources /Gary Crivellone" <gary1star at comcast.net>
04/23/2007 04:29 PM
To
<Patricia_DeAngelis at fws.gov>
cc
Subject
Pink Lady's Slipper
Patricia
Green Medicine published this incomplete info on pink lady’s Slipper.
What I am looking for is what fungal mycelia is required for the
cultivation.
If you could be of assistance.
THANKS
GARY CRIVELLONE
Pink Lady's Slipper
Photo Copyright 2000 www.stevenfoster.com
(Cypripedium acaule)
Pink lady's slipper is a large, showy wildflower belonging to the orchid
family. The root of lady's slipper has traditionally been used as a remedy
for nervousness, tooth pain, and muscle spasms. In the 1800's and 1900's
it (and other species of the genus) were widely used as a substitute for
the European plant valerian (also a sedative).
Because this plant has an extremely long life cycle, taking many years to
go from seed to mature, seed-bearing plant, and because it will grow only
in very specific circumstances, the harvest of wild lady's slipper root is
often not sustainable. Cultivation is challenging, and the plant has not
been widely grown for the medicinal herb market. Cypripedium, along with
other orchid species, is listed in Appendix II of CITES, making it illegal
to export any part of the plant without a permit. In 1988, the American
Herbal Products Association issued a self-regulatory initiative for its
members requiring them to refrain from trade in wild-harvested
Cypripedium.
Today, there are only a few companies selling lady's slipper or products
containing lady's slipper. The plant is still occasionally gathered from
the wild for private use by individuals, and is sometimes picked as an
ornamental. Perhaps the greatest threat to this plant, however, is habitat
loss, since it grows only in a very selective habitat
Cultivation: Pink lady's slipper grows in calcium-containing soils, in
forested areas. It has thus far proven nearly impossible to cultivate in a
way that would make it feasible as a cash crop. It requires that certain
fungal mycelia be present in the soil, so it is almost necessary to grow
it in a forested area which either does contain wild lady's slipper, or is
at least the type of environment where it is normally found. Usually this
means a wet forest area, with dappled shade. Success has been reported in
growing lady's slippers in a controlled laboratory environment, but the
cost of this generally makes it unprofitable as a medicinal herb.
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Disclaimer
Any advice given on this list regarding diagnosis or treatments etc.
reflects ONLY the opinion of the individual who posts the message. The
information contained in posts is not intended nor implied to be a
substitute for professional medical advice relative to your specific
medical condition or question. All medical and other healthcare
information that is discussed on this list should be carefully reviewed by
the individual reader and their qualified healthcare professional. Posts
do not reflect any official opinions or positions of the Plant
Conservation Alliance.
Anthony J. Hayes, President
Ridge Runner Trading Company, Inc.
P.O. Box 391
Boone, NC 28607
PH: 828.264.3615
FX: 828.262.3605
herbalogic at yahoo.com
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