On 6 Jul 06, at 11:27, Lee Poulsen quoted the Wikipedia on Cosmos atrosanguinea: > Cosmos atrosanguineus (Chocolate Cosmos) is a species of Cosmos, > native to Mexico, where it is extinct in the wild. The species was > introduced into cultivation in 1902, where it survives as a single > clone reproduced by vegetative propagation. I look askance at that "extinct in the wild" part and wonder who is bold enough to make such a broad statement, unless they've personally scouted out Mexico in its entirety. > However, Fred Boutin says he collected seed of this Cosmos in > meadows of herbs under tall pines on a hillside in Jalisco, Mexico. Which is, I'd think, pretty good counter-evidence. I hope Fred Boutin is taking steps to get viable seed and spread it around; these single-clone plants are prone to succumbing to viral infections, though there are counterexamples such as Dahlia 'Bishop of Llandaff'. Another example of supposedly extinct but not quite is Tecophilaea. -- Rodger Whitlock Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Maritime Zone 8, a cool Mediterranean climate on beautiful Vancouver Island