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Shape and size of Chirita seeds?
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Posted by domeman Australia (My Page) on Sat, Aug 6, 05 at 17:07
| What are the shape of Chirita (sinensis) seeds? I have pods which are about an inch long but very thin.
I am not sure how long to leave them on the plant. They are brown already. Is it OK to remove them and store in a closed container or should I leave them on the plant?
Thanks! |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Shape and size of Chirita seeds?
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- Posted by Jon_D Northern Calif. (My Page) on
Sun, Aug 7, 05 at 15:13
| This is a question for Johnnie B, master of chirita pollinating and hybridizing. I think chiritas that are not intentionally hand pollinated often make what looks like pods but do not contain seeds. If you pollinated them then hopefully you have seeds. When in doubt, leave the pods on till they begin to crack open, then cut and open them over some white paper to see what falls out. I hate to admit it, but I haven't yet produced chirita seeds. Something to do though. Jon |
RE: Shape and size of Chirita seeds?
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| I suspect that the flowers were not pollinated as mature Chirita capsules with viable seeds expand quite a bit after pollination to at least 2-3 inches long. Chirita capsules don't always split open when they are ripe, but if they are dried up and brown, they're as ripe as they're going to get! Crush them carefully over a sheet of white paper and you should be able to see the seeds. Chirita seeds, like all gesneriad seeds, are tiny. Seeds are rarely more than 1 mm long and are often about 0.5 mm long. My recollection is that Chirita seeds are at the lower end of the size range, and spindle-shaped. This can make it difficult to tell if you have viable seeds or not; the undeveloped ovules will look like seeds but will be dust-fine (even more so than viable seeds). A good test is that if they are fat and roll around on a sheet of paper, they are probably viable; if they are flattened and do not roll, they are generally not viable. |
RE: Shape and size of Chirita seeds?
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- Posted by Jon_D Northern Calif. (My Page) on
Mon, Aug 8, 05 at 14:29
| John, thanks for that information. Now, I really must do some pollinating. I want to see the fertile pods and seeds for myself. I have spacidiformis blooming now, hmmmm. Meanwhile, my 'Kazu' is blooming its fool head off still. Two weeks ago it won a blue ribbon in the gesneriad class in the Cactus and Succulent show and this week it goes to the county fair in one of the gesneriad classes. This old plant looked pretty ragged last summer but I have been watering it and pulling off all the heat damaged old leaves, all of which I put down to root. It has lived outdoors now for about six to ten years in my shady open air outdoor gesneriad house. I potted the plant up into a seven inch terra cotta pot about ten years ago. On top of the regular soiless mix I put a layer of dolomite chips, which are small white stones. I don't know if they have helped but this particular plant has never been repotted and does do better than my other pots of 'Kazu'. It has many crowns in a dense mound. I root the leaves outdoors, uncovered in regular potting mix, though I know I would have higher rate of success doing them indoors, enclosed and under lights. My biggest problem outdoors with propagation is when the squirrels get into the flat of leaves and dig them up. Jon |
RE: Shape and size of Chirita seeds?
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| Thanks for the feedback. Seems doubtful that pollination has taken place. At least now I know what to look for. |
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