On 26 Oct 03 at 11:20, John Ingram wrote: > I had a L. regal alba that produced some seeds this year all on > their own. My question is, are they supposed to be clear and no > coloration of an embryo? Are are my seeds just duds? If not, what do > I do with them now? Liliaceous seeds -- including tulips, fritillaries, lilies, and their ilk -- in transmitted light show a darkened area (the endosperm) in the middle plus a dormant embryo, a small elongated affair attached to the hilum. The embryo noticeably swells if you soak the seed in water for about 48 hours. If your seeds are entirely transparent flakes, they are not viable seeds. Bulb lovers who cannot make sense of my first paragraph would do well to go look at such seeds over on a light table until they get the hang of this. You needn't use the seed of some rarity: Fritillaria meleagris will do quite nicely. -- Rodger Whitlock Victoria, British Columbia, Canada "To co-work is human, to cow-ork, bovine."