plants from Africa- Passport required?

[Ernie]

I take it the club literature will no longer carry articles describing new species since this will only fuel more desire amongst the collectors? I predict a distant future society stripped of any species due to retrospective laws whishing to exert national control over their own flora against the pillaging nations.

I predict a time when to have a habitat collected plant from another country will be a criminal offence. Until then, a system such as now exists with ivory could be introduced. You cannot sell them so they because worthless.
To be honest I think any photograph that appears on this forum showing what is or may be a habitat collected plant, no matter how far back in time it was collected/obtained, should be edited out. I know it will be difficult but the worldwide trade is now at a level gloves need to be removed at national and international level. Watching David Attenborough's excellent programmes showing devastation to the worlds creatures and plants without doing something to stop the loss is unforgiveable. There will be BCSS people watching those programmes telling themselves that its terrible while in their greenhouse will be an illegally collected plant or two dug up from habitat.
Saying 'if I don't have it someone else will' does not cut it.

Its time now for the society to get tough and show it really cares about the subject.

BTW Phil did the right thing by editing out the link to a dealer.

[Redjimp]

If you remove all the photographs that show these plants how are newer members such as myself going to beable to identify that the plant we might be considering to purchase is a habitat collected plant. I would prefer to see the plant but also a caption saying it's habitat collected or illegal and here is how we know. This would be quite a job for someone to do though.

[Phil_SK]

I have left all of the photos Chris posted. It was only the link to a website selling habitat plants that I removed.

[Herts Mike]

Ernie, if you aren’t sure if they are cultivated or habitat collected plants why are you buying them?

Some of your comments seem a bit hypocritical.

[Ernie]

I started the thread to attract comments as to what readers think about the plants, habitat or not. Having obtained them I am not sure and I drew attention to the ebay seller who may or may not be selling habitat plants. If sufficient people of knowledge offered comments believing the plants are from habitat I would have followed it up elsewhere. There is a question mark over them and as such I will not buy any more from the seller who has quite a number of rare caudex and cacti plants on ebay. Read back in my posts; I mentioned the seller admitted the plants are imported by him direct from Africa but that information was not in the listing.
The other reason for starting the thread was a word of warning given the state of the plants, no roots or top growth. Warning signs that they may have been hacked out of the ground. I also questioned the lack of a plant passport.
I have admitted to having a great many habitat plants in the past, much to my shame, but have seen the error of my ways and will not do so again.
Stuart has said many caudex plants etc are being field raised commercially, not habitat plants dug up, and therein is the difficulty for us all.
I am not a hypocrite. If it could be proven the two plants I have are from habitat, illegally collected, I would feel shame.

[Nick_G]

I just assume that any caudiciforms, other than seedlings a few years old, offered for sale on eBay or anywhere else online, are habitat collected and I doubt that I am often wrong.

And yes Ernie, your plants are obviously habitat collected. Who on earth is commercially cultivating Merremias?

[Herts Mike]

Ernie, I see you are shown as a registered guest but you are propounding on “our society”. I don’t quite get that.

Could you explain?

[Ernie]

What do I say about that? well cactus world is sent to me 4 times a year, I have a membership card for the society, must be because I pay my dues. Get it. I have been a member on and off for over 40 years. Member of the Teesside branch

If it makes you more comfortable, my membership number is 48768'

I think the information on display clearly shows I am a member of the BCSS. I don't understand the registered guest bit.

[Tony R]

I have tried to update my profile to show I am a member but the system wont let me. Maybe the mods can fix it for me.

Hi Ernie, only you can initiate that, and then the Administrator (Bill H) will approve it.
Please try again.
Go to your User Profile. Select the Usergroup tab. Select the group BCSS Members and click the Submlit button at bottom right. Cheers,

[Ernie]

Hi Tony. Thank you. I have tried to do it several times but when I click on user groups the only thing it shows is registered guest?