Managing oxalis obtusa seed pods? (Rick Buell)

Ernie DeMarie via pbs pbs@lists.ibiblio.org
Tue, 10 Feb 2015 15:15:21 PST

Hi Nhu and everyone else,
I also find the Mexican oxalis do tend to produce seeds that come up everywhere, so I planted them out in my gardens to see if they can survive our winters.  O obtusa in my experience does make seed if hand pollinated and the placement of pistil and stamens differ between the clones, but I find the seeds do not germinate right away, so they can come up the following year in other pots if I missed collecting them.  I have seen O. massoniana make seeds on one plant at Wave Hill gardens, those seeds may be short lived, not sure.  O. depressa will cross (I have pink and white clones that do so) and it will also seed around, I actually collected seed and planted it recently so I will soon know how well stored seed of it germinates.  Did not know that the weedy O stricta or corniculata could cross with other American species, I have not observed that yet, usually I am too busy pulling the O stricta/corniculata out of pots and gardens.  Nhu did the progeny form bulbs?  
Ernie DeMarie
In Briarcliff Manor NY where the winter growing oxalis are blooming fine in the cool garage (obtusa forms are mostly just starting), outside any oxalis, friend or foe, is buried under snow.  
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Nhu Nguyen <xerantheum@gmail.com>
To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Tue, Feb 10, 2015 10:32 am
Subject: Re: [pbs] Managing oxalis obtusa seed pods? (Rick Buell)


Very interesting post, Christiaan. I'm glad this side of you won because
it's these kinds of informative posts that make this forum valuable.

Oxalis hirta grows very well for me, even though I do not give it the best
care like other species. It even escapes the Oxalis rust plague that I have
been battling (and winning this year with a drier winter). I have noticed
some seedlings spread around, so I think it does make seeds, but probably
not many.

Some bulbous American Oxalis species do make seeds. For instance, the
Californian native O. oregona makes huge capsules and gigantic seeds (see
photos on the wiki). The Mexican magnifica/lasiandra/nelsonii species
complex can cross with each other. I've noticed seedlings of these around
my collection too. Invariably, when you have the weedy O. stricta group and
a collection of other American Oxalis, you will find that they also cross.
I've been very much tempted to save some of the more interesting looking
ones, but didn't because who knows what kind of super weed I could be
selecting for.

Nhu

On Mon, Feb 9, 2015 at 3:13 PM, Christiaan van Schalkwyk <
christiaans.garden@gmail.com> wrote:

> I've been real quiet lately, and debated whether I should chime in on this
> topic, alas I think my poorer part won, so here is a lengthy reply...
>


 



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