Saturday, May 17, 2008

Prisoner's dilemma

So here's the latest world famous lazarus taxon; the wollemi pine, sat looking rather miserable at RBG Kew. Given that you can now buy and fret over your own specimen (check it) I'm somewhat of the opinion that this security is overkill.

wollemi

I've been lucky enough to see several of the original western Metasequioas from 1949-50 (more on which soonish). I wonder what this chap will look like in 60 years and if it'll have been let out of solitary.

4 comments:

Julia said...

It does look rather sorry for itself doesn't it? Being an owner of a domesticated Wollemia (thank you for the link love!) I wonder the reverse. Given that the older ones are behind bars do I need to consider some form of security for my own pine?

tai haku said...

Well I'd guess yours isn't obvious from the street and your average joe isn't likely to recognise it to nick it. If I had a big one in a public park I'd probably consider doing something (lojacking the rootball perhaps?!) but it would be a lot less intrusive than this!

Julia said...

True - it's in the back garden, and although everyone going into the surgery next door can look right into the garden, it's in the midst of a Hamamelis, a poly-poly and a rapidly-growing Gunnera so it's no longer the most impressive-looking item in the garden!

The bars are so imposing - it's difficult to get a good idea of the size and shape of the tree. And I like to touch trees and shrubs. I want to feel the bark, and whether the leaves are hard or soft.

Anonymous said...

thats pretty funny have never seen a tree behind bars ;)