Gymnospermium albertii germination?

[Paul T]

Howdy All,

I have a query about Gymnospermium albertii..... I received something labelled as this from a seed exchange last year.  I was just checking the seed to see whether there was any sign of germination.  I don't recall what the seed was like, but have a vague feeling it was a decent size.... found the little round balls sitting right where I sowed them..... until I turned one over and discovered a shoot directly underneath it in a concave depression.  So I checked a bit further around the pot and found another "seed" and this too had a concave depression with a growth point in the middle of it, again facing directly downwards.  

I've never encountered anything quite like them before.  Does this sound right for the genus and species?  I don't think I have ever encountered any plant/rhizome/bulb that grows directly from the underside?  I don't know whether the shoot is active, or just sitting there waiting for the right conditions, but there has not been anything above ground in that pot as far as I recall (although that doesn't mean there definitely wasn't anything, I may have missed it if I didn't look right at that particular pot).

Does anyone have any feedback for me who has grown this from seed before?  If not, does the description above ring any bells for experiences with other things you've sown from seed?

Thanks for any help.

[Susan Band]

Hi Paul,
That seems right for Gymnospermium. I germinated some this year and they did this. Some did put up a cotyledon leaf on a long stalk which died back quickly leaving a small bulb as you discribed, some just seem to change from seed into a bulb  I think the seed had been in the pot for 2 years so perhaps they had sent up a cotyledon the previous year or the bulb forms in the first year and then the cotyledon the second.
Susan

[Paul T]

Thank you SO much Susan.

Here's proof of the value of these forums...... 20 minutes after posting it the first person that read it has already answered the question.

Now of course the challenge will be to get the darn things to grow for me.    I can find lots of pictures but little info on requirements.  I'm just so pleased that they have germinated without me knowing about it.  Any input from anyone would be wonderful.  I love the pics of this diminutive little gem, so would like to get it to flowering stage one day somewhere in the distant future. 

Thanks again, Susan.

[Sinchets]

Hi Paul, I've germinated Bongardia, Leontice and Gymnospermium before- still waiting to see what happens. Just a note to check that they haven't sent their 'bulbs' out through the bottom of the pots into the plunge before you move them. I've had this happen a few times from different pots and not realised until I have picked up and moved the pots.

[Paul T]

Simon,

These little bulbs are actually sitting on the surface of the mix, directly under the gravel.  They're right where the seeds were, more or less.  I don't use a plunge, so they're going to have to do some maneuvering to get out of the pot holes and into anything else.  The bulbs form while the plant is in growth I assume?  Do they then produce stolons to multiply, or do they just push their bulbs deeper/replace their bulb deeper each year?