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<DIV>This recent thesis is a good overview of Cypripedium cultivation.</DIV>
<DIV> <A href="http://ex-epsilon.slu.se/archive/00001453/01/Cypripedium,_R%C3%A4nnb%C3%A4ck_070126.pdf">http://ex-epsilon.slu.se/archive/00001453/01/Cypripedium,_R%C3%A4nnb%C3%A4ck_070126.pdf</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Nonetheless, I don't think it provides an answer to the posted C. acaule question.</DIV>
<DIV><BR>David Lincicome</DIV>
<DIV><BR>>>> MoonBranch Botanicals <moonbranch@earthlink.net> 04/27/07 1:31 PM >>><BR></DIV>
<DIV style="COLOR: #000000">
<DIV id=compText>Hello All, thanks for the engaging dialogue. At least now I won't have to go into any policy charged diatribe as Bob and Tony have done an excellent job there for us. Tony, I know now you've been hanging out with me for too long....<BR><BR>Anyway, I'll address here now what little I know about pink lady's slipper and it's place in the forest community. Apparently it is speculated that this plant does require a symbiotic relationship with a soil microbe or fungi to live and thrive. I'm not sure that anyone knows what specific fungi or group of organisms play a role here. I suspect this type of "inter-plant" relationship is far more common and complex than we understand. At any rate from what I've heard and based on what I have observed in the woods, pink lady's slipper is generally associated in mixed hardwood and "yellow" or "hard" pine stands (at least in my locale). It is speculated that the fungi or other microbes associated with pink lady's slipper is also associated with "yellow" pines. Hence, no pines, no microbes, no lady's slipper. An oversimplification, no doubt.<BR><BR>I don't know if there is any hard reseach out there to support this, or who would pay for it if it wasn't. Maybe we could tie lady's slipper to Homeland Security or something....<BR><BR>So, without going much further , the simple question originally posed requires a complex and somewhat tedious reply. If you did know what species of fungi was required, where would you get it (Microbes R Us)? And without the pines as a co-symbiot, the cultivation endeavor would be short lived.<BR><BR>This example might be a "poster child" to illustrate the importance of plant communities and biodiversity. This of course underscores what Mr. Hayes has spoken to in terms of development. No doubt about it though, if we destroy enough, one day we will know everything, then what....<BR><BR>Robin<BR><BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(0,0,255) 2px solid">-----Original Message----- <BR>From: Bob Beyfuss <RLB14@CORNELL.EDU><BR>Sent: Apr 27, 2007 9:50 AM <BR>To: Tony Hayes <HERBALOGIC@YAHOO.COM>, Patricia_DeAngelis@fws.gov, mpwg@lists.plantconservation.org <BR>Subject: Re: [MPWG] Fw: Pink Lady's Slipper cultivation <BR><BR><ZZZHTML><ZZZBODY>Hello Everyone,<BR>I am pleased to see that some folks are interested in cultivation of plants that are in demand. It seems to me that this is perhaps the most important conservation tool but it is too often overlooked in lieu of making regulations. The problems with regulations, as written or defined by agencies such as CITES or US Fish and Wildlife or local Natural Resources agencies is that they are <BR>1.Not always appropriate in every situation. It is hard to design regulations in Washington that address the needs of plant communities across their range. One size does not fit all when dealing with plant communities that range from Georgia to Maine and west to Minnesota for example. <BR>2. Regulations are virtually impossible to enforce in the real world. There are not nearly enough "Plant police" ie. conservation officers, game wardens, forest rangers etc to even begin to enforce all the regulations and many of them do not consider these issues a priority compared to their other responsibilities. The result is that conscientious people who obey the rules will do so but less civic minded people will not. <BR>3. Regulations ignore fundamental laws of supply and demand. In the case of American ginseng, for example, restricting the legal harvest reduces supply while demand remains constant or even increases as consumers become more affluent. The inevitable result is that prices go up and this in turn encourages much more illegal harvest from the poachers who ignore the unenforceable regulations to begin with. <BR>4. Regulations are often based on incomplete or erroneous data. No one really knows exactly how much of any given plant resource actually exists in the wild. Organizations such as Nature Serve have been proven to be seriously incorrect in their assessment of the status of ginseng in states such as Kentucky and NY. Nature Serve's classification of ginseng in KY lists it as having a total of perhaps 13,000 wild plants statewide and this data has been cited by US Fish and Wildlife as cause for concern. At the same time US Fish and Wildlife has certified for export an average of more than 5 million legally harvested wild ginseng roots annually in KY? Massive errors such as this make most people question the overall credibility of such agencies. <BR>5. Regulations overlook the positive role that many harvesters have played in preserving wild populations. Ginseng has been responsibly stewarded for generations by rural people in Appalachia. It is likely that absent this positive intervention many more populations would have disappeared. Limiting or restricting harvest activities also reduces their positive role in stewardship. <BR>6. Regulations are rarely evaluated to see if they are indeed working as intended. Have the regulations imposed on the harvest of ginseng and goldenseal actually resulted in populations rebounding across the range of the plant? Is there any data to support the assumption that they have in the broad scale? Do most regulations contain evaluation provisions? If not, they not be instated in the first place. <BR>Personally I would much prefer that natural Resource agencies would focus much more effort on cultivation of at risk plants. This seems to me the most positive approach. If cultivated plants can replace wild plants in the marketplace, wild populations will be at far less risk than current policies dictate. <BR>Bob Beyfuss<BR><BR><BR></ZZZBODY></ZZZHTML></HERBALOGIC@YAHOO.COM></RLB14@CORNELL.EDU>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=cite cite="" type="cite">Patricia has made a good point in reminding us that the initial post requested info specific to cultivation and not regulatory listing. <BR> <BR>While I am not aware of which Fungal mycelia is essential for the survival of C. acaule under cultivation, I understood from the grower I referenced that pollination was his biggest hurdle. To imitate a specific wasp he used cotton tip swabs to transfer pollen between individuals.<BR> <BR>Also levels of decaying matter on the forest floor increased at a higher than normal rate during the site manipulation and enhancement studies carried on in Quebec. Basically evergreen tree thinning and mulch mowing where the two main tools used on the test site with the largest population increase of C. acaule. <BR> <BR>My personal observations in the wild have shown me a common relationship with evergreen trees and their decaying barks. My guess is someone has already tested soil samples taken from within native populations for microbials, etc. and hopefully we can all get a chance to learn about it. <BR> <BR>Many of you may have noticed that I very rarely respond to these postings even though I review them regularly. I have been monitoring the MPWG list serve for a good while with many thanks to you all for your participation. I must admit this particular situation struck a nerve of mine. <BR> <BR>As to references for habitat destruction and effect on medicinal plants I will first refer to reports given last November during an American Ginseng workshop sponsored by the KY Dept. Ag. and concerning loss of habitat through development as the largest single reason for loss of test plots during the State sponsored multi year monitoring program. I assume these findings are reported periodically to FWS/OSA and are on file.<BR>Here is an article many of us read just last week on Mountain Top removal <A href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-04-18-mines_N.htm" target=_blank><FONT color=#008000><U>www.</U></FONT></A><FONT color=#008000><U><B>usatoday</B> <A href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-04-18-mines_N.htm" target=_blank>.com/news/nation/2007-04-18-mines_N.htm</A><BR></U></FONT>I want to put in a plug for Appalachian Voices here in Boone, NC so please check out <A href="http://www.ilovemountains.org/multimedia" target=_blank><FONT color=#008000>www.ilovemountains.org/multimedia</FONT></A><FONT color=#008000> </FONT>for a better idea of what's going on in, or should I say coming off our mountains?<BR> <BR>Best regards,<BR>Tony<BR><BR><B><I>Patricia_DeAngelis@fws.gov</I></B> wrote:<BR>
<DL><BR>
<DD>Hi Tony! <BR><BR>
<DD>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. <BR><BR>
<DD>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. <BR><BR>
<DD>According to the NatureServe website (<A href="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/" target=_blank eudora="autourl"> http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/</A>), which is an important source of information for the federal government, the global status of this species is secure. <BR>
<DD><FONT face=arial size=2>U.S. & Canada State/Province Status</FONT> <BR>
<DD><FONT face=arial size=2>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) </FONT><BR>
<DD><FONT face=arial size=2>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?) </FONT><BR><BR><BR>
<DD>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. <BR><BR>
<DD>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. <BR><BR>
<DD>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? <BR><BR>
<DD>Thank you, <BR>
<DD>-Patricia <BR><BR><BR>
<DD><FONT size=2>Patricia S. De Angelis, Ph.D.<BR></FONT>
<DD><FONT size=2>Botanist - Division of Scientific Authority<BR></FONT>
<DD><FONT size=2>Chair - Plant Conservation Alliance - Medicinal Plant Working Group<BR></FONT>
<DD><FONT size=2>US Fish & Wildlife Service<BR></FONT>
<DD><FONT size=2>4401 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 750<BR></FONT>
<DD><FONT size=2>Arlington, VA 22203<BR></FONT>
<DD><FONT size=2>703-358-1708 x1753<BR></FONT>
<DD><FONT size=2>FAX: 703-358-2276<BR></FONT>
<DD><FONT size=2>Working for the conservation and sustainable use of our green natural resources.<BR></FONT>
<DD><FONT size=2><<A href="http://www.nps.gov/plants/medicinal" target=_blank eudora="autourl"> www.nps.gov/plants/medicinal</A>><BR></FONT><BR><BR><BR>
<DD><FONT size=1>Tony Hayes <herbalogic@yahoo.com> </FONT><BR>
<DD><FONT size=1>04/25/2007 11:28 PM</FONT> <BR>
<DIV align=right></DIV>
<DD><FONT size=1>To<BR></FONT></DD></DL></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>
<DD><FONT size=1>Patricia_DeAngelis@fws.gov, mpwg@lists.plantconservation.org</FONT> <BR>
<DIV align=right></DIV>
<DD><FONT size=1>cc<BR></FONT>
<DD><FONT size=1>Subject<BR></FONT>
<DIV></DIV>
<DD><FONT size=1>Re: [MPWG] Fw: Pink Lady's Slipper cultivation</FONT><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>
<DD>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. <BR>
<DD>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. <BR>
<DD>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. <BR>
<DD>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. <BR>
<DD>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. <BR>
<DD>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. <BR>
<DD>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. <BR>
<DD>I can supply seed or cuttings for many at risk species but they can't make it on asphalt and concrete. <BR>
<DD>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. <BR>
<DD>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. <BR>
<DD>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. <BR>
<DD> <BR>
<DD>Best regards, <BR>
<DD>Tony <BR><BR>
<DD>Patricia_DeAngelis@fws.gov wrote: <BR><BR>
<DD>Forwarding a question from someone about Pink Lady's Slipper cultivation. <BR><BR>
<DD>Please respond directly to Gary Crivellone: <gary1star@comcast.net> <FONT size=2><BR></FONT><BR><FONT color=#800080 size=1><BR></FONT>
<DD><FONT color=#800080 size=1>----- Forwarded by Patricia De Angelis/ARL/R9/FWS/DOI on 04/25/2007 01:38 PM -----</FONT> <BR>
<DD><FONT size=1>"Pacific Federal Resources /Gary Crivellone" <gary1star@comcast.net> </FONT><BR>
<DD><FONT size=1>04/23/2007 04:29 PM</FONT> <BR>
<DIV align=right></DIV>
<DD><FONT size=1>To<BR></FONT>
<DIV></DIV>
<DD><FONT size=1><Patricia_DeAngelis@fws.gov></FONT> <BR>
<DIV align=right></DIV>
<DD><FONT size=1>cc<BR></FONT>
<DD><FONT size=1>Subject<BR></FONT>
<DIV></DIV>
<DD><FONT size=1>Pink Lady's Slipper</FONT><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><FONT face=arial size=2><BR></FONT>
<DD><FONT face=arial size=2>Patricia</FONT> <FONT face=arial size=2><BR></FONT>
<DD><FONT face=arial size=2><BR></FONT>
<DD><FONT face=arial size=2>Green Medicine published this incomplete info on pink lady�s Slipper. What I am looking for is what </FONT><FONT face=arial>fungal mycelia </FONT><FONT face=arial size=2>is required for the cultivation.</FONT> <FONT face=arial size=2><BR></FONT>
<DD><FONT face=arial size=2><BR></FONT>
<DD><FONT face=arial size=2>If you could be of assistance.</FONT> <FONT face=arial size=2><BR></FONT>
<DD><FONT face=arial size=2><BR></FONT>
<DD><FONT face=arial size=2>THANKS</FONT> <FONT face=arial size=2><BR></FONT>
<DD><FONT face=arial size=2><BR></FONT>
<DD><FONT face=arial size=2>GARY CRIVELLONE</FONT> <FONT face=arial size=2><BR></FONT>
<DD><FONT face=arial size=2><BR></FONT>
<DD><FONT face=arial size=2><BR></FONT>
<DD> <BR>
<DIV align=center><BR></DIV>
<DD><FONT face=arial size=5>Pink Lady's Slipper</FONT> <BR><FONT face=arial size=2><BR></FONT>
<DD><FONT face=arial size=2>Photo Copyright 2000 </FONT><A href="http://www.nps.gov/cgi-bin/intercept3?http://www.stevenfoster.com" target=_blank><FONT face=arial color=#0000ff size=2>www.stevenfoster.com</FONT></A> <FONT face="Times New Roman, Times"></FONT><FONT face=arial size=2><BR></FONT>
<DD><FONT face=arial size=2>(Cypripedium acaule)<BR></FONT>
<DIV></DIV><BR>
<DD><FONT face=arial>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). </FONT><BR>
<DD><FONT face=arial>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. </FONT><BR>
<DD><FONT face=arial>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 </FONT><BR>
<DD><FONT face=arial>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.</FONT> <FONT face="Times New Roman, Times"><BR></FONT>
<DD><FONT face=arial size=2><BR></FONT>
<DD> _______________________________________________<BR>
<DD>PCA's Medicinal Plant Working Group mailing list<BR>
<DD>MPWG@lists.plantconservation.org<BR>
<DD><A href="http://lists.plantconservation.org/mailman/listinfo/mpwg_lists.plantconservation.org" target=_blank eudora="autourl">http://lists.plantconservation.org/mailman/listinfo/mpwg_lists.plantconservation.org</A> <BR><BR>
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<DD>Disclaimer <BR>
<DD>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. <BR><BR><BR>
<DD>Anthony J. Hayes, President <BR>
<DD>Ridge Runner Trading Company, Inc. <BR>
<DD>P.O. Box 391 <BR>
<DD>Boone, NC 28607 <BR>
<DD>PH: 828.264.3615 <BR>
<DD>FX: 828.262.3605 <BR>
<DD><FONT color=#0000ff><A href="mailto:herbalogic@yahoo.com" target=_blank>herbalogic@yahoo.com</A></FONT> <BR>
<DD>_______________________________________________<BR>
<DD>PCA's Medicinal Plant Working Group mailing list<BR>
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<DD>To unsubscribe, send an e-mail to MPWG-request@lists.plantconservation.org with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject line.<BR><BR>
<DD>Disclaimer <BR>
<DD>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. <BR><BR>
<DL></DL><BR><BR><BR> <BR>Anthony J. Hayes, President Ridge Runner Trading Company, Inc. P.O. Box 391 Boone, NC 28607 PH: 828.264.3615 FX: 828.262.3605 <A href="mailto:herbalogic@yahoo.com" target=_blank>herbalogic@yahoo.com</A> <BR>_______________________________________________<BR>PCA's Medicinal Plant Working Group mailing list<BR>MPWG@lists.plantconservation.org<BR><A href="http://lists.plantconservation.org/mailman/listinfo/mpwg_lists.plantconservation.org" target=_blank eudora="autourl">http://lists.plantconservation.org/mailman/listinfo/mpwg_lists.plantconservation.org</A> <BR><BR>To unsubscribe, send an e-mail to MPWG-request@lists.plantconservation.org with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject line.<BR> <BR>Disclaimer <BR>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.
<BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV></DIV><PRE>
Robin Alton Suggs
MoonBranch Botanicals
5294 Yellow Creek Road
Robbinsville, North Carolina 28771
USA
Telephone: 828.479.2788
moonbranch@earthlink.net
www.moonbranch.com
Member:
American Herbalist Guild
Co-op America
Green Products Alliance
National Network of Forest Practitioners
North Carolina Consortium on Natural Medicines
North Carolina Goodness Grows/NCDA&CS
North Carolina Natural Products Association
Southwestern North Carolina RC&D Council
United Plant Savers
"We have no choice but to respect that which sustains us."</PRE></DD></DIV></BODY></HTML>