Fertilization & pedicel elongation in xAmaryllis

Michael Mace mikemace@att.net
Sun, 19 Sep 2010 12:44:21 PDT
Your photos are excellent, Ken.  You have a much more diverse collection
than I do, and it's always interesting to drop in on your photo stream and
see what unusual thing you have blooming at the moment.

Judging from the pictures, you're also a lot better at weed control than I
am.


>>if I attempt to pollinate ... fruit will form ... but in the past 4 years
has never produced any seed leading me to believe them to be sterile.? If I
make no attempt to pollinate ... no fruit forms whatsoever.? 

Interesting.  I haven't seen that one, but then I don't yet have any mature
Boophohones to play with.  I have seen similar effects in Moraeas, where
some crosses will produce a seed pod but no seeds.

I think I vaguely remember reading that when fertilization happens, some of
the genetic material goes into creating the capsule and some goes into the
seed itself.  Or did I just imagine that?  I'm wondering  if maybe the
pollen is compatible enough to make a capsule but not a seed.  Just wild
speculation from an amateur, but maybe one of the botanists on the list
could comment...


>>BTW ... just today ... trying pollen from Nerine angulata on an xAmaryllis
belladonna.? I am hoping for seed despite your experice mentioned below!

Go for it.  I've been told that even crosses with N. sarniensis are possible
"if you know which ones to cross."  Please come back and say if the cross
worked (and what the seeds look like).

Mike
San Jose, CA



More information about the pbs mailing list