Erythronium seed article

Diane Whitehead voltaire@islandnet.com
Sat, 11 Feb 2006 08:25:35 PST
There is an interesting article on Erythronium seeds by Art Guppy, 
who grows all the species except three, in the latest BEN (Botanical 
Electronic News). MYRMECOCHORY IN SOME SPECIES OF THE GENUS 
ERYTHRONIUM It is archived at http://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/ben/

Art has observed that seeds of all species from Eastern North 
America, Europe and Asia are attractive to ants, and none of the 
species from Western North America are.

This has an effect on the best way to sow the seeds of the two 
groups: the myrmecochorous ones are in moist soil during the summer, 
so should be sown quickly, while the western ones stay dry for a long 
time. (I just went into a sheltered part of my garden and discovered 
open capsules that still had seeds in them.)

-- 
Diane Whitehead  Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
maritime zone 8
cool mediterranean climate (dry summer, rainy winter - 68 cm annually)
sandy soil


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