73 Heaths Rd. Hoppers Crossing, Vic 3029, Phone: 03 9005 7569, Mobile: 0412 134 047
Prohibited Imports
Prohibited imports.
On my list there are “prohibited imports“, but are supplied by local growers. Those seeds were harvested from plants imported to this country before any restrictions were introduced. If I want them on my list, I have to pay what they ask. If you are looking for some seeds that are not on my list, send me your “wish list” and I will hunt for the seeds. More often than not, I would get them, even though several times it has taken me a few years.
On 21st of December 2006 there was a posting of an amendment (No. 7) of Quarantine Proclamation 1998 about seeds imports. Until then there was a list of prohibited genera, such as Opuntia, Lophophora, Cereus, Cleistocactus, etc. You couldn’t bring in any species of the genus. If you go in AQIS's website today, you’ll find there Schedule 5 Permitted seeds (section 63). They list there some 35,000 plants (among them are only about 4000 succulents) but to find out the conditions for importing them you have to go to ICON. So, in future the size of my catalogue will be greatly reduced. Many of the seeds that I am offering this season will be on my list for the last time, because to have them reclassified will cost hundreds of $ for each species and will take up to 3 years before they will inform you of their decision. Taxonomist abandoned some of the genus names they use in the proclamation in 1753 (most of the species in genus Cactus are now Melocacti, some are Discocacti, Ferocacti, Espostoa, etc), but if your seeds are not labeled like that, they won’t allow them in and they have to be sent back to supplier or destroyed.
There are many plants that are not in the AQIS database and if the name is not in the database, the importer has to apply for a risk assessment. In January 2003 it cost AU$85.00 for each plant and it was July 2006 when they informed me that the plants were assessed to be weeds. On 20th of June 2007 AQIS office in Canberra informed me: “…the assessment fee rate is $60 (for any assessment period up to 1 hour) and $15 for each quarter hour, or part of a quarter hour, after the 1-hour period. …Lodgement fee of $100 also applies in addition to the assessment fee.” That is a minimum of $160 fee for the assessment of each species that is not listed in the new database.
Local supplies of seeds
Very soon after I started seeling the seeds, locals were offering me their seeds either for nothing or in a swap or at a price. I was mostly interested in those seeds that used to be on the list of “Prohibited imports”. Since I mentioned the new Schedule 5 Permitted seeds (section 63), the number of offers exploded. I had no idea there were already so many species in Australia, so maintaining the number of species on my list will not be as difficult as I originally thought. If you have something that you don’t see on my list, contact me. It could be listed under some different name. If I don’t have it, we can negotiate.
Another thing that will be useful to me – records of all the sales since 2000. Those print outs of the work sheets that I send back with your order are now so easy to archive and I will be able to find potential suppliers of most of the seeds that I won’t be able to import from overseas anymore.
Note on mescaline bearing cacti.
Hundreds of species of cacti contain various quantities of mescaline or other alkaloids, consumption of which has effects similar to LSD and/or other recreational drugs. All species and varietas in the genus Lophophora are best known as peyote and mescal and are in greatest demand by those who intend to use it as a recreational drug. It is not illegal to sell, grow and posses the seeds or plants but because I am aiming to supply cactus hobbyists with seeds for growing the plants, not for eating them, I reserve the right to refuse to sell the seeds of the mescal bearing cacti, where I suspect that the plants will be grown for consumption as a recreational drug. In the past I had orders for seeds of nothing but mescaline bearing cacti. These were declined. There are only two species in the genus Lophophora (with numerous varietas) and it would be an odd cactophile interested in one genus with two species only. This year’s list offers seeds of both species and many varietas. For each packet of Lophophora seeds ordered I would expect at least three packets of other seeds in the order. The biggest reason for this restriction is the fact that the genus Lophophora is classified by Australian Quarantine & Inspection Services as a weed and thus a prohibited import. I can get them only from growers within Australia. There are only a few willing to sell the seeds, usually in small quantities, because the plants are not all that easy to grow and it takes years to grow into a seed producing size. Genuine cactophiles are very interested in this genus because it is so unique in so many respects. All the seeds are usually sold out within a short time. This business wouldn’t exist without the patronage of cactus hobbyist, thus their requirements must have priority over customers interested in experimenting with mind altering substances.
Those interested in this branch of ethnobotany can order a floppy disc “Ritual Cacti”. It lists some 300 cacti known to contain hallucinogens and/or psychoactive alkaloids. Most of the species are shown with a list of the compounds (56 for Lophophora williamsii) and some with percentile quantities. There is also a description of the use of some of the species and extensive general propagating instructions. The cost of the disc is AU$10.00.