- Collector
- Phil Mann (seed source); ICPS (importer); UC Davis Botanical Conservatory (germination)
- First described
- 2026
- Into cultivation
- 2003
- Type
- single clone from named seed batch via uc davis
- Cultivar
- 'UC Davis'
Origin
From the same Phil Mann seed lineage that produced PM1 (cluster C0714). Seeds came via the ICPS to UC Davis Botanical Conservatory for germination in the early 2000s. UCD is the institutionally-named selection that has gone on to wide distribution in the cephalotus hobby. PM1 is a separately-selected sibling individual from related Phil Mann batches.
For the full Phil Mann origin chain, see PM1 entry (cluster C0714) or thread 6033.
Standout traits
- Vigorous, propagates aggressively — explains the increasing availability over time.
- Massive clumps with large, colorful traps when conditions are right.
- Can produce black-ish lids (a 2026 discovery by Mike — earlier documentation didn't capture this).
The catch: heat sensitivity
UCD is more temperature-sensitive than other clones in Mike's collection. He loses divisions to sudden cephalotus death syndrome (SCDS) every year. Without climate control, careful summer-heat management is mandatory.
Mike's documented 2025-2026 collection-loss event in this thread:
- ~25%+ of his entire cephalotus collection died in 3 months after a heat event.
- Outdoor shade cloth + an extra layer over most of the collection prevented most losses — but one tray didn't get the extra layer (Mike ran out of cloth).
- That tray contained UCD pots and his largest UCD mother plant.
- Almost everything in the unprotected tray died.
The takeaway: UCD's heat sensitivity is not a beginner-skill issue. Experienced growers also lose plants. Plan accordingly.
Standout traits
- Vigorous, propagates 'like crazy' — increasingly available in cultivation as a result.
- Forms massive clumps with large, colorful traps under right conditions.
- Can produce blackish lids (Mike's 2026 discovery).
- **More heat-sensitive than other clones in Mike's collection** — Mike loses divisions every year. Sudden cephalotus death syndrome (SCDS) common in this clone if temperature management isn't tight.
Cultivation
Mike's hard-won lesson on UCD specifically: more temperature sensitive than the average cephalotus clone. Without climate control, you'll lose divisions to SCDS during heatwaves.
The 2025-2026 collection-loss event Mike documents in this thread:
- >25% of Mike's entire cephalotus collection died in 3 months after a heat event.
- Plants were under shade cloth outdoors.
- One tray of plants didn't get the extra layer of shade Mike had added to the rest of the collection (he ran out of shade cloth).
- That one unprotected tray suffered most of the losses, including "of course, a few pots of UC Davis" — and the largest UCD mother plant.
Mike's takeaway: even experienced cephalotus growers lose plants to heatwaves; don't feel bad. But this also confirms UCD's heat sensitivity is not a beginner-skill issue.
Photos (3)
Naming
"UC Davis" — the institutional source of the germinated seedling. See PM1 (cluster C0714) for sibling-clone context.