Rick K. wrote >I've received seed of several species of Fritillaria, Lilium and others, as >well as seed of some Asiatic Lily crosses I've made this summer. >I do a Ga3 treatment of 300 ppm on all of the seed, soak for 24 hours, >then do a brief rinse and soak in plain water. >The seed is then sown in small pans in extremely well drained soil, and >given a warm treatment for 3-4 weeks. As far as I know, all species of Fritillaria exhibit epigeal germination (unlike some Lilium species which are hypogeal). I would never treat Fritillaria seed with GA3, because I believe it can induce abnormal growth in the cotyledon, leading to eventual failure to develop in a healthy way. I have raised more than 90 taxa of Fritillaria from seed without special treatment, simply planting them in well-drained soilless mix, covering with grit, and leaving them outdoors but covered to experience some moist chilling. When they germinate, I move them to a frost-free environment. I usually pot on the bulbs during their first dormant season, since they're easy to spot in the soil. One thing that bothers me is the apparent unwillingness of some East Asian species to set viable seed in cultivation. Mine don't even when hand-pollinated, and the dearth of seed of these species even in the specialist list of the AGS Fritillaria Group suggests that others may have the same problem. I've raised only one member of this group (F. cirrhosa) from seed. It's an alpine type of bulb and does best for me in the open garden, on a peaty slope among dwarf ericaceous shrubs. Jane McGary Portland, Oregon, USA