anemone japonica seed looks like this

[David Pilling]

Hi,

Someone suggested recently that the japanese anemone seed I donate to a seed ex is not seed at all, mere fluff with black dots. I don't like getting "seed" that is dead bits of flowers. I felt a bit guilty about it. I also don't like the idea that the seed I have painstakingly collected and processed ends up in the bin. I did a test...

For public information, below is a picture of seed on a 10mm grid, a close up of a black dot, and two weeks after exposing to humidity, how that black dot produces a root.

I've always been surprised how such small seed produces rather large plants.

 

[Lori S.]

Not sure why anyone would have doubted that that was seed... only someone not familiar with Anemone seed, I guess. 

[Gene Mirro]

You can't judge seed quality by the appearance of the seed, except in really obvious cases.  By far the best way is to test germination, as David did.  I have seen lots of nice fat seeds that did not germinate.  There is also a more professional tool, the tetrazolium test.  http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v159/n4048/abs/159748a0.html  I don't know if any amateurs are using this method. 

I can understand why there would be doubt about seed of Anemone japonica.  It has a long reputation for being pure fluff.  I've heard that if you have only one clone, you will not get good seed.  For example, if you have one clone of a Lilium species, and it sets seed, it almost certainly is not pure seed of that species, but a hybrid with some different nearby lily.

Even if you examined the seed under a microscope and it looked OK, it might still be dead because of high temperatures or the passage of time.

Anyway, thanks David for taking the time to test your seeds.  We should all follow your example.  Imagine a novice grower failing repeatedly to grow seed from the exchange.  I don't think it's good for the club.   

[Maggi Young]

Anyway, thanks David for taking the time to test your seeds.

Yes, indeed, thank you David - and for taking the trouble to make the documentary photographs -Very useful.
I will add a link to this page from the "Seeds to scale" section.