That is your interpretation, but not true (for U.S.).
So far, I have not seen that happen yet....why would they give up such an opportunity to make money?
Most jungle collected plants look like garbage, and most die very quickly after collection. The time they spend getting to a nursery while they are bare root does them in.
Of course it does. Same applies to pre CITIES paphs. Who can say your stonei was actually seed raised? And that’s my point. Speaking to imported plants, if the exporting country issues a CITIES to export seed propogated species, and the USDA allows the plants to pass, where is the obvious illegality? Implied? Only the country of origin can enforce its borders. Once the plants get out, the circumstances and legalities become so convoluted and lacking in clarity that assertions that someone’s plant is “illegal” should be made with caution. As I have said in multiple other threads, I think every person on this list and every other slipper enthusiast any one of us knows either has illegally collected plants in their collection or plants derived from illegally collected plants. For the hard core conservationists among us, and I count myself in your ranks, remember that every single Paph and Phrag available everywhere in the world is or was derived from a collected plant. Not going to hijack another thread with a CITIES discussion.
Good question to ask.
Dave, my contact at USFWS told me the issue with this species, as opposed to helenae for example, is that the Loatian government is making a lot of noise as rungsuryanum is a spectacular species. Similar to what happened with kovachii, they want their plants back. One Thai seller at Redlands told me when I asked they did have rungsuryanum on their import papers. Not hybrids. For whatever that’s worth.
Only if the plants in the flasks originate from a legal source. From a legal nursery using legally obtained propagation material.
Illegally imported plants cannot be held or used at all.
Apparently, some folks are not familliar with the vicious travesty perpetrated upon George Norris? Morris? a few decades ago. Someone falsely reported him for illegally importing some newly discovered Paphs/Phrags. USFW swat team raided the elderly and infirmed couple's home, despite having NO evidence at all of any endangered newly-discovered species being imported illegally. He and his supplier from a nursery in South America were arrested. He lost EVERYTHING, including his house, trying to defend himself. The South American vendor managed to flee the USA, before the trumped-up kangaroo court trial.
care to name them here since you said they openly have them on the bench(for sale)?
At Tamiami and Redlands 2 Thai vendors had them on their sales table. I won’t name them as that’s not my style. The situation with rungsuryanum is between them and USDA who inspected and passed their plants for sale in the US. Also, between them and the USDA agents who I presume were at Tamiami and/or Redlands as I know they frequent both shows due to the heavy international presence.
