Help with ID of seedling

[Paul T]

The shoot reminds me of a Penstemon, but I've never grown them from seed so I have no idea whether it is right for a seedling?  Looks perhaps a little too fleshy?

[Lori S.]

Certainly not a penstemon seed, though. 
It does look like it could be an asclepias seed with the silky pappus removed, and the opposite-leaved seedling would make sense...

[Lesley Cox]

You need to go back to the first post Paul and look at the seed case, then at the subsequent pics in Maggi's link. I don't know asclepias from seed so can't give any opinion. It's not a glaucidium but it SHOULD be a glaucidium.

[maggiepie]

Thanks to all for your input.
Hopefully I can grow the plant to maturity.
Would hate to have it croak and never know what it was I killed.

[gote]

Are you sure this is what came from the seed you showed. Glaucidium do not germinate the first spring.
Göte

[maggiepie]

Are you sure this is what came from the seed you showed. Glaucidium do not germinate the first spring.
Göte

Yes, quite sure.
It was already potted and labelled when I slipped the seedcase off and took the pics.

[Lesley Cox]

Ulla H sent me seed of both purple and white Glaucidium a while back, it would have been seed from the season before last, in the north. The purple germinated within a month! but no sign yet of the white yet. I'm hoping this winter/spring will bring some along.

[Paul T]

Lesley,

Obviously I did something wrong with my seed from the same source (I think, from memory).  No luck on any counts.    Been a crazy couple of years weather-wise, so could be the reason for it.

So what should Penstemon seed look like?  I've not grown Penstemon from seed as I said, nor thought about what the seed would look like.  Now that I think about it I'd imagine small black shiny or something like that?  I've not thought about it before.

[Lori S.]

So what should Penstemon seed look like?  I've not grown Penstemon from seed as I said, nor thought about what the seed would look like.  Now that I think about it I'd imagine small black shiny or something like that?  I've not thought about it before.

No, generally matte brownish/greyish as opposed to black and shiny, and a range of sizes from very small to quite large... I believe Maggi has posted photos of various penstemon seeds in the Seeds forum.

[Maggi Young]

That is correct, Lori, there are photos in this thread :
 http://www.srgc.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=4426.0

of the  following Penstemon seeds :

Penstemon    rattanii
Penstemon   caesius
Penstemon   caespitosus var. caespitosus
Penstemon   cardwellii
Penstemon     sp.  PCH2
Penstemon    abietinus
Penstemon    ambiguus
Penstemon    compactus
Penstemon    cyananthus
Penstemon    davidsonii var. menziesii
Penstemon    fruticosus
Penstemon    grandiflorus
Penstemon    leonensis
Penstemon    linarioides
Penstemon    patens
Penstemon    pinifolius
Penstemon    pseudospectabilis
Penstemon    rupicola
Penstemon    scapoides
Penstemon    sepalulus
Penstemon    superbus
Penstemon    venustus
Penstemon    centranthifolius
Penstemon  hirsutus pygmaeus  

[Lesley Cox]

The seed picture I posted a while ago of what was supposed to be Colchicum luteum, is now showing - no, that's not right.

The seedlings IN the picture I posted a while ago of what were supposed to be Colch luteum, are beginning to look suspiciously like Impatiens glandulifera. The double cotyledons are each about 1cm across and developing a small notch at the apex though they are clean green and I would have expected some reddish colouring even so young. The second, true leaves are just starting so will do another pic in a few days.

Chris Chadwell was quite upset and very concerned when I emailed him, certainly no question of denying a mistake or anything like that and very anxious to put things right so far and as soon as possible. His suggestion was that two batches of seed, these AND the colchicum were put in the same envelope seems to me very likely as all of these have apparently germinated - nothing new for 10 days or so, while many more were sown than the 50 that have appeared, probably a couple of hundred. I'm hopeful that the colchicum will still come though in due course.

[Lesley Cox]

Well here is a picture of the above seedlings at present. I'm still no closer to identifying them. Against their being the Impatiens I wondered about, is the colour which I would have expected to have a little red somewhere. These are bright lime green and are out in all weathers so not un-naturally pale.

[Lesley Cox]

I also wonder if someone might know what these might be. For some reason I thought they were a camellia, but not sure. There are some teeth at the base of the newest leaves which doesn't seem to be camellia-like.