Seed Identification project- notes

[Diane Whitehead]

At last!  A book that describes seeds as well as showing pretty flower
pictures.

It is The Caucasus and its Flowers by Vojtech Holubec.

Here are descriptions of two Dianthus:

D. oschtenicus    Seed capsules cylindric   Seeds flat, disc-shaped with
a comb-like fringe on margin

D. raddeanus  Seed capsules cylindric   Seeds flat, black

This is very useful for those of us who sometimes collect seeds of plants
we have not seen in flower.

I wish more authors paid attention to seedpods and seeds.  Botanic
artists depict all parts of plants, but colour photography has caused
a diminution of pictorial information.  However, a short clear description
by an observant author can make up for a lack of drawings.

[Lesley Cox]

At one stage, perhaps a year ago, there were some postings from, I think, Thomas in Germany, with excellent pictures of various crocus seeds. I seem to remember saying at the time, what a valuable resource a topic would be, of seed pictures. My own seed collecting season is on already, with frits and narcissus, pulsatillas et al ripening daily. I'll try to take pictures of anything worthwhile and start this particular ball rolling.

[Diane Whitehead]

I occasionally take photos of seeds to post to this forum.

There is a problem taking such extreme closeups, as the camera
blocks light from the seeds.  I read about someone who set up
a stage for photographing small things by cutting a hole for the
lens of the camera in the bottom of a clear plastic bowl which was
then put over the small item to be photographed.  I haven't
managed to find a clear bowl yet.

[Maggi Young]

I believe this site was mentioned before in the Forum and it certainly bears repeating :
theseedsite.co.uk : this is a place with lots of seed photos and is a very useful resource.... for all levels of interest from children onwards. (I have merely stated the name of the website and not made a hotlink because the site owner does not want such links made because of costs incurred to him.)

There's also this site  http://www.hazmac.biz/seedhome.html

[fleurbleue]

Thank you all, what good ideas  !

[Maggi Young]

At this time of year many of you have been busy seed collecting. May I ask you a favour?
As you collect and clean the seed, would you please take photos of the various seed types you have, spread on 1mm graph paper to show the scale, and send the named photos to me in the first instance.
The idea will be to post them, eventually, in a special seed ID section of the forum and produce a "library" of  photos of seed likely to be found in the seed exchanges of the SRGC, NARGS and  AGS .

We are trying to compile a file of photos of correctly named seed to help identify true seed for packers of the seed exchanges and to let folks see if the seed they "think" they have bears any resemblence to the true type seed at all!
It would be very helpful if forumists with seed they know to be true, would be so kind as to take part in this project.  It will be an enormous task, taking many years to amass a full list of seeds likely to be of interest to rock gardeners, but with many helpers we hope progress can be made.
I do hope you will all consider taking part in this project.

[Lori S.]

Where would one send or post these photos? 

[Lesley Cox]

As you see Lori, Maggi is getting a photo file together of seeds of all kinds so probably best to send them to her. I really envy Maggi in that she does so much it is quite obvious she has managed to introduce the 36 hour day. I wish she'd share how she did this.

[Lori S.]

Okay, got it.  I wasn't clear on this, due to the mention also of a "special seed ID section of the forum", which obviously will arise sometime in the future.  Thanks.

[Maggi Young]

Hi, Lori,
Yes, as Lesley says, please send me the pix meantime. We are trying to work out the best way to arrange the forum or website section. Idea would be to have a main area here where all would be available online then also have some method (cd ) to be able to share with other societies. I have edited my inital post to make it clearer.
All in planning stage at present but I will collate the photos here:  info AT srgc.org.uk




Lesley, sadly I have not mastered the 36 hour day.... I have however, given up my promising career in classical music, my popular belly dancing performances, and my bid for membership of the 2012 Olympic high jump team .... but no matter, some things are worth a little personal sacrifice.

[Lesley Cox]

A sad loss to the world at large Maggi, but we on the Forum are grateful that you have your priorities right.

A lot of the rubbish that I'm posting lately is in order that Paul T in Canberra won't catch up with me, as he was rapidly doing for a while. 10 or 12 days away spells disaster in the numbers stakes.

[Maggi Young]

I started, I think, a thread on what seeds look like but cant find it

Mark, it was this one on Dactylorhiza seed...
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=2418.msg54658;topicseen#msg54658 

[Lesley Cox]

You musn't breathe in deeply, or sneeze, when harvesting them.

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks Maggi for getting the seed pictures up and running. It should help many of us over time, in identifying what we're doubtful about.

One comment which I hope is constructive, it would be helpful if the pictures can be taken directly overhead, or in conditions where the seeds don't throw a shadow. In some of the crocus pics it makes the seeds seem quite a lot larger.

[Maggi Young]

Yes, a good point, Lesley.  Tricky business to get things just so, with such tiny subjects.

This will be a massive project, but the journey of a thousand miles starts with but a single step... as some footsore person once said!


 103 pix down... only another 5 thousand or so to go to cover the seedlist!  

see here: http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=4426.0