Hey folks,
So those of you who are growing multiple clones of Utricularia livida, listen up!
This plant has a very interesting native range---Mexico and South Africa. Kooky, huh? It makes you wonder if the plants from each country really are of the same species. Are they reproductively isolated? (i.e. can they be hybridized?)
So here is an interesting set of experiments. It needs plants from about three different provenances; plants for which you are ABSOLUTELY certain you have good location information. For the sake of discussion, suppose you have a plant from Mexico, and two from the African sites Durban and Natal. (Just likely names, don't give them much significance.)
Experiment 1: Try selfing Mexico, Durban, and Natal. Ideally, you hope that one will be self-infertile. Suppose you find that Durban is self-infertile.
Experiment 2: Try crossing Mexico with the self-infertile Durban plant. If you get seed, you've demonstrated that they can hybridize.
Experiment 2b: If none of the plants from Experiment 1 are self-infertile, still try crossing the Mexico plant with Durban or Natal. Just do it VERY carefully, under a dissecting scope.
Experiment 3: Try crosses between Durban, Mexico, Natal with U. sandersonii plants.
The results from these experiments would be quite interesting, and extremely publishable in CPN or other botanical journals. It would lend evidence to the relative relationships between U. livida in the two countries, and close relatives like U. sandersonii. Who knows---you may find evidence that the U. livida in Mexico is a new species!
Just take your time with crossing these plants. Do the crosses a few times, because coffee jitters can destroy your experiment. It is crucial you can be sure you are not selfing a plant by accident, when you think you are only doing a cross-pollination!
Cheers
Barry