Oxalis enneaphylla, O. laciniata, O. adenophylla: seeking seed success

[Rodger Whitlock]

Inspecting my clutch of S. American rhizomatous oxalises today, I notice that a few seedpods are forming: several each on 'Gwen McBride' and 'Ute', one on O. adenophylla, and maybe one or two on 'Ione Hecker'. As my plants are kept in pots next to each other, the seeds may include hybrids, esp. that on O. adenophylla. (A very fat fuzzy bumblebee spent some time on this last Saturday feeding on these.)

Has anyone experience growing this group of plants from seed successfully? Clearly, the existence of various named hybrids implies that at least some seeds make it to maturity, but I'd like to have as high a success rate as possible. Details of compost used, when sown and under what conditions, when germination took place, and any pitfalls on the road from germination to flowering a mature plant are all of interest.

Seed has formed on Oxalis adenophylla in the past here, but no germination occurred.

Also, I am under the possibly-false impression that oxalis seed capsules are explosive when ripe; do I need to wrap them in mesh to prevent the seeds from escaping at maturity?

Any other relevant comments most welcome!

[Diane Clement]

Welcome Rodger,
This is a topic I've been interested in for a while.  I have several clones of the species of this group, O adenophylla, enneaphylla, laciniata and loricata and their hybrids growing closely in an alpine house, also a few in my rockery which do well. 
I have had very poor results from seed I have bought from wild collected sources which took several years to germinate then died very quickly.  I also had very poor results in getting seed from my own plants.  I do remember somewhere in the distant past of another forum someone said that in order to set seed Oxalis need three parents??  Sorry, I can't remember the details nor can I find the reference.  I did think that O "Ione Hecker" was sterile, so it will be interesting if yours produces viable seed. 
The seed pods ARE definitely explosive as in the very few seedlings I have had, they have been found in the sand plunge some way from the parents.  I have not yet grown from seed to maturity, but I would have thought similar conditions to the parents would be fine.  I have a couple of tiny seedlings at present growing happily in the sand plunge where they are in danger of getting lost when they go dormant so I will have to pot them up shortly. 

[arisaema]

Can't help you with the germination, but I've found that a piece of tape loosely wrapped in a ring around small seed pods is much less tedious than trying to wrap them in mesh.

[Lesley Cox]

I've not had seed on any of the hybrids and I no longer have O. adenophylla but I do get the occasional fat pod on O. laciniata. Can't remember the timing now as it seems to flower at "odd" times, unpredictably (it's in flower now, 12 in fact but the weather is cool and damp in early winter and none is opening properly). Last year I had 2 pods, and sent one to Australia and kept one. The pods were quite green still when they started to open and it was just luck that I caught them. Had I been an hour later all the seeds would have gone.

So, 24 seeds in one, 25 in the other, mine sown on the day I collected them Otto's as soon as he received his, a few days later. He had 10 seedlings over about 4 months, I've had just 4 after 4 months and nothing since. They are hopefully still in their seed pot and will emerge in the spring. I haven't had any grow to maturity yet.