Invitro culture of rescued oncocyclus Iris embryos.

[Jupiter]

Maggi asked me to add this information to the forum here and although it's only been a year since I started my experiments into aril iris embryo culture and I'm yet to produce a bloom, I have generated over 100 plants by this method.

Oncocyclus seed split longitudinally to reveal the embryo, undamaged. This is achieved by surface sterilising the seeds, soaking them for 48 hours and then making a cut with a scalpel part way in from the end opposite the aril. The seed can then be split in two.




I am culturing my embryos in 20mm diameter pyrex tubes, using a culture media published by Howard Shockey.




After 24 hours you can see the embryos starting to grow down into the agar and after a week most have produced a root and the beginnings of a shoot can be seen.




By three weeks the biggest of them look like this;

[Jupiter]

After several months the plantlets are filling their tubes and have strong roots right to the bottom of the tubes. At this stage it's time to bring them out into the air and pot them up.









After a few days indoors with careful observation they can be moved outdoors into a shady spot (weather permitting) and gradually hardened off. The young plants must be kept constantly moist and it's best to time this to coincide with autumn or winter in our Mediterranean climate, avoiding summer heat and giving them as much time to grow before the signals to enter summer dormancy slow growth.

[Jupiter]

Some plants in pot culture skip dormancy and stay green right through summer. I've seen this discussed by Bob Nold and Peter Gras, so it's not uniquely my experience. I have just potted these on into deep pots with a good mineral based propagation media based on pumice and scoria, with some coco-peat and coarse river sand. The top 1/3 to 1/4 of the pot is pumice and marble chip, around the rhizome to prevent excessive moisture and rotting.

[Maggi Young]

Thank you, Jamus   

 I think this thread will make  a fine companion to the one on Forced Germination of Iris Seed:
   http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=6450.0
 

[Yann]

Jamus what medium do you use?

[Jupiter]

You're welcome Maggi. I thought it was different enough to warrant its own thread, but you're welcome to merge the two if you think it will be tidier?

Yann, the potting soil I'm using is extra sand and grit (in the form of crushed horticultural pumice and scoria) added to a basic 2 parts coarse round sand and one part peat (or coco-peat), with added dolomite lime, rock dust, hydrated lime, iron chelate and osmocote slow release fertiliser.

[Yann]

sorry i was talking about the in-vitro one.

[Jupiter]

Sorry Yann, it's 0.6% Agar, 2% sucrose, and a string of salts, Calcium, Potassium, Magnesium, nitrate, phosphate, sulphate, and trace elements including copper, molybdenum, iron, zinc and boron. I won't post protocols here. This is all published stuff, I haven't mucked around with it since it works.

[BULBISSIME]

Thank you Jamus for this excellent post and superb pictures (and results ! )

[Jupiter]

I'm adding images of my first Arils to bloom from my embryo cultured plants.

Both of these Dardanus (Korolkowii x iberica) x iberica elegantissima, by Jim Kurtz in the US.

[Maggi Young]

'Proof  of the pudding', as the   old saying goes!

[ashley]

And rather fabulous proof of the pudding 

[Yann]

Nice done in the fastest way, i'm still interested by the formula to try on my side.

[arillady]

I have been digging up some of the aril species and hybrids as I want to improve their planting area. I am pleased with most but sorry to lose some - those that were struggling anyway. Still a few more to dig and some still green. We seem to be getting regular summer rain the last few years so I am glad to see that Marcus emphasises the use of no soil near the rhizomes. Free drainage essential.

[Maggi Young]

Jamus' (Jupiter) article  on Iris  is  now  on the  blogspot  of  the  Victorian (Australia) group Alpine Garden Society  - see  it  here :

https://agsvicgroup.blogspot.com/?fbclid=IwAR3qWmDWVtH_trYCfJybtDf6FS2twQyZoSlD2ntgyXEQzduO7DO043DeigM

Always worth reading the  Blogspot, of  course - not  least  to read  the  previous  blog  on the  construction of  a  VERY  stylish crevice  garden!