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Pollinating U. jamesoniana: info needed
- Thread starter Pim
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- flower jamesoniana pollinate
Welcome to TF! A U. jamesoniana grower - truly a rare individual. Feel free to join the other Utric growers in the sticky at the top of the forum (especially if you want to share your growing approach/conditions - always curious what others do...).
On your pollination question:
- do you have 2 seed clones? I forget whether U. jamesoniana responds well to selfing but if you only have one clone then it's still worth a shot.
- are you familiar with the flower structure? Here's a pic of a U. nelumbifolia flower (same structure - just much larger than U. jamesoniana). The four anthers containing the pollen (shaped somewhat like a butterfly in the pic) are just below the stigma (shaped like a flap). These structures are visible when you open the flower 'hinge'. To facilitate pollination, I'll often cut the flower at the hinge & remove the superfluous lower parts (trying to hold a tiny utric flower open & pollinate at the same time can be tough).
--- To pollinate, you want to move that pollen up onto the flap. Some people use a tiny painter's brush, some a toothpick. I usually use a flattened end of a paperclip - scoop up some pollen with the tiny shovel & place it on the flap.
Beware, that if do indeed succeed, the seed is incredibly small - here's a pic of some on a 1 mm grid, and like most Orchidioides seed, doesn't stay viable for very long (& apparently hates the postal service).
On your pollination question:
- do you have 2 seed clones? I forget whether U. jamesoniana responds well to selfing but if you only have one clone then it's still worth a shot.
- are you familiar with the flower structure? Here's a pic of a U. nelumbifolia flower (same structure - just much larger than U. jamesoniana). The four anthers containing the pollen (shaped somewhat like a butterfly in the pic) are just below the stigma (shaped like a flap). These structures are visible when you open the flower 'hinge'. To facilitate pollination, I'll often cut the flower at the hinge & remove the superfluous lower parts (trying to hold a tiny utric flower open & pollinate at the same time can be tough).
--- To pollinate, you want to move that pollen up onto the flap. Some people use a tiny painter's brush, some a toothpick. I usually use a flattened end of a paperclip - scoop up some pollen with the tiny shovel & place it on the flap.
Beware, that if do indeed succeed, the seed is incredibly small - here's a pic of some on a 1 mm grid, and like most Orchidioides seed, doesn't stay viable for very long (& apparently hates the postal service).
Thanks for the advice,
For the moment only one clone is flowering. Another clone is growing a flower stalk, but that one is going to take weeks, if not months before it's flowering.
I'll try and self the flowering clone. We'll see where we end up... There's always next time. That is, if they decide to flower upon the same time, instead of - as is happening now - right after each other.
I will condense my growing conditions in an entry to the sticky. But don't expect revolutionary stuff!
For the moment only one clone is flowering. Another clone is growing a flower stalk, but that one is going to take weeks, if not months before it's flowering.
I'll try and self the flowering clone. We'll see where we end up... There's always next time. That is, if they decide to flower upon the same time, instead of - as is happening now - right after each other.
I will condense my growing conditions in an entry to the sticky. But don't expect revolutionary stuff!
