Dave F. wrote: >Here in SW England it has been a generally good year for Crinum moorei seed >production and I've had some very large and good seed this year. However as >soon as it comes of the plant, the seed softens, shrivels and turns black, >and without being frosted. The cause for this is either 1/ fungal or 2/ or >the fact that the seed is infertile. I had the same experience earlier this year with C. moorei seed - a bumper season but many of them turned black and shrivelled. They seemed to be infertile - there was no sign of a radicle wanting to emerge anywhere around the seed. The seeds that did germinate had no black on them, and have grown very well with no sign of any kind of fungus infection. If it happens again I'm going to cut them open to see where the black starts and whether there is an embryo or not. Rhoda Napier, Western Cape Mediterranean climate with some summer rain