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D. paradoxa flowers and their "viability" - any ideas?

Cindy

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I crossed the following forms of D. paradoxa. Only the white flowers took and formed fruits. Any ideas why?

I am thinking that...
*either the white flowers do not have viable pollen; the anthers look smaller than the ones for the pink flowers

*or the stigmas on the pink flowers ain't receptive

D. paradoxa (white flowers, stem-forming)
paradoxa_stem_forming.jpg


D. paradoxa (pink flowers, either Drysdale or Kimberly)
paradoxa_drysdale_or_kimberly.jpg
 
How did you cross them? White x White and Pink x Pink or White x Pink, Pink x White? I've been told that D. paradoxa needs genetically different plants (i.e. seed grown vs tissue culture/cuttings) in order to get seed.

It may have been just the luck of the draw and a matter of timing that the pink flowers may not have been receptive at the time you pollinated them.
 
I've been told that D. paradoxa needs genetically different plants (i.e. seed grown vs tissue culture/cuttings) in order to get seed.
Yup - a different seed-clone is needed for the petiolaris / Lasiocephala plants. However, I had a number of flowers not produce seeds even when they were well-pollinated by genetically different plants.
...and a matter of timing that the pink flowers may not have been receptive at the time you pollinated them.
While this may be a possibility, I typically waited until at least mid-day (to ensure pollen was friable) before pollinating. Frequently the flowers closed just after (or during) pollination. While some people just rubbed flowers together, I found that I did not get good seed set using that approach. I used tweezers to remove a stamen and dab the pollen-filled anther directly on another plant's stigma - covering it with pollen. I never did figure out why I didn't always get good seed set - I just figured that some plants were temperamental or somehow not compatible .... ???
 
I crossed White with Pink by rubbing the flowers together. The stem-forming plants are one clones while the Drysdale/Kimberly is another different clone. I don't usually have many plants flowering at the same time but this time, both clones are doing it.

The flowered are opened mostly widely at around 2pm here so that is when I cross pollinate them. The white flowers gave a decent amount of seeds....at least 40-50 per fruit, I didn't really count. But until now, the pink flowers just stay as narrow green buds on the flower stalk after withering.
 
My paradoxa is about to flower i think my biggest issue will be finding a pollen doner to get some seeds from it.. I was hoping my petioles would be in flower too but it isn't Soo mangy I'll do a strange cross like a rosetted drosera to my paradoxa and see what happens. does anyone think it could be selfed by introducing a strange pollen and tricked into receiving its own pollen to pollinate itself? I've done it with Lithops before and got seed but im not sure if anyone's attempted such an expiriment to give advice on the matter :/
 
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I seem to remember something about sugar water being a stimulant to tubule formation in pollen, stimulating their formation and thus the passing of spermatozoa to ova. It's been a long time since I took that biology class.

As a side question - is there a way to store pollen for use later, short of cryogenic freezing? 'Would be great for petiolaris sundews.
 
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