Import permits
Rodger Whitlock (Fri, 22 Feb 2013 21:23:05 PST)

On 22 Feb 2013, at 18:36, Richard wrote:

I have bad news for you. The quoted statement is not always and invariably true.

Ca. 20 years ago, one of our locals was trying to grow Linum flavum compactum
from commercial seed. The seedlings invariably died quite early, no matter what
hygienic precautions he took regarding soil, pots, water, and all else. I
suggested that there might be a seed-borne fungus involved and that at least
one reference I'd read suggested that a rinse with hydrogen peroxide might be
worth trying.

He tried the peroxide rinse. It worked.

One concludes that on rare occasions a good collection of seed carries
pathogens.

PS: Though we think of such seedling pathogens as fungi, they may also be
oomycetes, which were formerly classified as fungi, but have now been
recognized as not-fungi. Sudden Oak Death is an oomycete. See

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oomycete/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudden_oak_death/
--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Z. 7-8, cool Mediterranean climate