Heliamphora pollination

[Clint]

So I've got a developing flower stalk on my H. heterodoxa x minor. I'm going to try and cross it with an H. 'Tequila' using the former plant as the mother. Any tips? There is surprisingly little information about this on this forum. I've never done this before so... yeah. I'd REALLY like this to work.

The offspring should be hella easy to grow. This is the mother :

and this link is the father

I think I'm going to send them off (or at least my half if the father's owner doesn't want to) to be put in vitro at a place that specializes in CP propagation so I don't have to worry too much about the seed germinating assuming it's good.

 

[Dave S.]

I have not tried this yet, but another heli grower's advice is to "mash the flowers together" once you have a flower with pollen and a flower that is ready to receive pollen. I have read that you can use vibration (e.g tuning fork) to trick a heli flower into releasing pollen. The difficult part seems to be the collection of the pollen.

 

[xvart]

Dang, that's a nice looking plant! So is the father for that matter. I hope you are successful!

xvart.

 

[Av8tor1]

"....Obtaining pollen while the stig-ma is receptive is the greatest problem. The anthers ripen a week or so after the stigma ceases to be receptive to pollen. I have found that the stamens of H. nu-tans remain firmly attached to the flower even as the ovaries become enlarged, whereas the stamens of H. heterodoxa become detached shortly after the anthers ripen. Pollen from H. nutans can be easily obtained by lightly teasing the anthers with a small stick. The same activity simply detaches the stamens of H.heterodoxa without yielding pollen. How-ever, pollen can be extracted from H. heterodoxa by breaking the anther in halfand twirling the halves between the fin-gers. Pollen, once obtained, can then beplaced on a new flower in which the pet-als have just opened. I have found thestigma to be receptive for only a coupleof days after the petals open."

SOME PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS ON CULTIVATING THE HELIAMPHORA
by Robert R. Ziemer 1979
CPN Volume 8 • September 1979

Based upon Dave's replay and what I gather, Helis possess poricidal anthers that are emptied by pollen collecting bees or hummingbirds performing vibrational foraging

ref: Floral biological observations on Heliamphora tatei (Sarraceniaceae) and other plants from Cerro de la Neblina in Venezuela

Journal of Plant Systematics and Evolution
Volume 163, Numbers 1-2 / March, 1989

Av

 

[Jefforever]

Goooood Luck!!!!!! ^_^

 

[Av8tor1]

Now now Jeff, think happy and positive thoughts mate

Ill put on some zig ziglar tapes in my grow area so my heli can become highly motivated

 

[Av8tor1]

question,

if I dont have a tuning fork, but the GF does have some personal massage equipment that vibrates (mental image)

do you think the frequency will be enough?

Clint, DaveS stop giggling, but I have to ask if anyone has ever tried

and yes, ill take a video for the fun of it

Av

 

[vraev]

LMAO! ROFL!! lol! Av8tor1, make sure no one sees you when you use that "equipment" lol! LMAO!

 

[jrod]

Electric razor, or maybe hair clippers? Both sound a bit like bees to me....

 

[Dave S.]

but I have to ask if anyone has ever tried

I have not tried it, but I have a H. minor x heterodoxa in spike. I think I'll go with the electric razor test as Jrod suggested.

 

[DrWurm]

Those are fantastic plants!

 

[Av8tor1]

Clint, im less then a week away now I believe

Cheers'
Butch

 

[DaveN]

I was curious to see if you were successful in producing seed. Having only ever seen simple hybrids in cultivation, and failing to produce seed when selfing my heterodoxa x minor, I had always assumed Heliamphora hybrids were sterile. Then I read in Pitcher Plants of the Americas that complex hybrids occur in nature. Any luck?