- Collector
- NASC (seed source)
- First described
- 2025
- Type
- single clone from NASC derived seed batch
- Cultivar
- 'fiber optic'
Origin
Wild-collected seeds via NASC (North American Sarracenia Conservancy) — Mike's note: "these are genetics that otherwise would have never entered cultivation." Mike grew out the batch and the population sat in overcrowded community trays for years before he had time to divide and space them. Once given fresh soil and room to grow, this individual stood out as exceptionally heavily-veined.
Standout traits
- Heaviest veining Mike has ever seen on a leucophylla — the "fiber optic" name comes from the dense branching vein pattern.
- Good white stretch on the trap.
The pheno-hunt context
Mike uses this thread to make a broader point about pheno-hunts: finding standout clones from large grow-outs is harder than it looks. Damping off, raccoon destruction, pests, and weather all take their toll, and many years yield nothing worthy of selection. Most public accounts omit the failed years.
Standout traits
- Heavily-veined leucophylla — Mike: 'have you ever seen a leucophylla with so many veins like this one? I haven't.'
- Visible only after Mike divided previously-overcrowded plants and gave them space — recurring 'crowding hides genetics' theme.
- Good white stretch on the trap (alexis observation, post #4).
- Documented after years of neglect — population sat overgrown for 'many years' before the standout was recognized.
Cultivation
Mike's recurring lesson — most of his collection sits crowded in community trays because there are hundreds of populations to manage and only one Mike. Standouts only become visible once divided into fresh new soil with adequate space. This clone emerged from exactly that pattern: years of neglect, then division
- repotting + spacing, then BAM, the standout was visible.
Mike's broader pheno-hunt framing in this thread:
- Damping off at seedling stage takes a percentage.
- Raccoons can destroy hundreds of plants in a single night.
- Pests, diseases, and bad weather take more.
- Years of grow-out evaluation may yield nothing of merit.
- Most growers omit the failed-grow-out years from their public accounts.
Photos (5)
Naming
Descriptive: "fiber optic" — the heavy, branching vein pattern is reminiscent of fiber-optic light strands.