Dodgy looking Crocus seed

[Tristan_He]

Calling all croconuts... Last year I managed to lay my hands on some bulbs of Crocus vallicola, which I carefully cross pollinated and collected seed of. Unfortunately on closer inspection the resulting seed doesn’t look to great (see photo).

I was wondering if this seed batch is worth sowing at all? Does it have naturally unusual shaped seeds for example? Or are these just unlikely to be viable for whatever reason (maybe I will have to look for other seed / bulb sources - groan!)

Any advice appreciated.

[Carolyn]

Tristan,
I am no crocus expert, but what I can tell you is that I have had very poor seed set on many spring bulbs because of the weather this year. I agree with you that the seed does not look promising, but it would be worth sowing anyway, just incase it is OK. I have quite a few pots of seedlings on which the label says « viable seed? »

[Lesley Cox]

I usually have quite good seed on vallicola now that I have a few corms of it (from a gift of seed some years ago). When I had just one for several years it never set seed no matter how carefully I hand-pollinated. But it flowered poorly this recent autumn because we have been in a drought situation and that has only broken 3 weeks ago with extreme rain which caused major flooding and some terrible damage in the centre part of the South Island. I haven't seen signs of any crocus seed pods as yet.
But as Carolyn suggests, sow what you have anyway as there may be something viable there. From my own I don't recall that the seed were much different from the usual, viz round and smooth.
 

[Tristan_He]

Thanks both, this is rather what I feared. Oh well, I'll sow them anyway and see what happens. Hopefully they will flower again ok this year and I can have another go. Sometimes plants take a year or two to settle down in their new surroundings and won't set seed until then.

[pehe]

Hi Tristan,
I am afraid that your seeds are infertile, but of course it is worth giving them a try.
If you have different clones of vallicola they set plenty of seeds.
My vallicola seeds look like that:

[Tristan_He]

Thanks Poul. That's a shame.

I'll have to get hold of seed then, or a bulb or two from another source.