Tropaeolum 2013- 2014

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

I got this as Tropaeolum hookerianum ssp. austropurpureum form the AGS seed distribution. It doesn't fit any photos on the web of this species. Any views as to its ID?
It has germinated and flowered in the space of 4 months.

 Hi Pete,
This young plant is clearly a hybrid. But a wonderful one with peach petals and a slight picotee line on the edges. So well worth growing!
Flowers of such hybrids often fade to different hues as they age. And this adds some interest in growing such hybrids.
JP

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Here's a hybrid with diferent tones of colour on the same plant:
First pic with newly open flowers
2nd pic with  flowers of various stages of maturity
JP

[Pete Clarke]

Thank you Jean-Patrick.
It has now faded as you said to a pale yellow.
A better photo here.

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Tropaeolum hybrids are flowering mostly in mauve / pink hues on my balcony this spring:
first pic is of a young one with huge leaves and flowers.
second pic shows a particularly floriferous young seedling
JP

[Clayton]

So my austropurpureum is now blooming, and I would like to save pollen to use on future crosses. I've heard you can freeze it for later use and it will remain viable for a year or 2. Has anyone done this? I'd appreciate any tips on how to collect/store/freeze/thaw it!

I haven't formed any strong conclusions about whether my tricolor is pure. It seems that there is some degree of variation, as described by Jean-Patrick. However, I did email the source where I purchased the tubers, as I know they sell various species... I was told that it could be a hybrid. They grow from seeds, and "can't control the hummingbirds." Well that may be true, but I don't think it is a very reputable practice to sell by name with no certainty at all whether it is what you're calling it!

I did find it interesting, JP, that the Tr x TENUIROSTRE picture has bright green calyx tips, rather than the dark purple you usually see on tricolor, though it looks very similar otherwise.

Pete, a lovely flower--both just opened as well as faded to a more yellow shade!

Clayton

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Here's now Tr TRICOLOR faithfully growing ( and flowering ) this year again
JP

[Lesley Cox]

Clayton, I'm not sure if it's a good idea actually to FREEZE pollen, maybe just refrigerate it, in airtight small containers (plastic probably) at about 4 deg C. I heard a talk recently about breeding tall bearded irises and the speaker said that's what she did, the storing in a fridge I mean, in airtight containers and she said not to freeze it though. She exchanges pollen with iris breeders in the USA, now that we are not able to import plants and she and her US people store the pollen for the 6 months it takes until ready to be used on plants on the other side of the world. She scrapes the pollen from the anthers with a very fine scalpel blade and wipes it onto a small piece of waxed paper then puts that in the little container and tightens a lid over it.

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Hello,
A young Tr Azureum seedling with quite uncommon flowers
JP

[Maggi Young]

Hello,
A young Tr Azureum seedling with quite uncommon flowers
JP

Yes, a lot of green in the flower, eh?

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Tr SESSILIFOLIUM is now beginning to bloom in my "Andean " container. It grows there along with Tr POLYPHYLLUM and Tr INCISUM. But these 2 species don't perform as well...
JP

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Yes, a lot of green in the flower, eh?

Yes Maggi,
I don't know where the green markings come from. And I don't remember having seen Trops with mostly green petals...
JP

[Clayton]

Hello all,

Lesley, of course that sounds much more sensible! Freezing would certainly have the potential to damage the pollen. I've done a little online researching for "general" pollen storage tips, and it seems like an airtight container--possibly with some desiccant enclosed--stored in a refrigerator around 4 deg C (~40 deg F) should do the trick! I have some little 2.5 ml plastic tubes used in laboratories with snap down lids that should work perfectly. Seeing as how small the anthers are, I may just pluck the entire things, rather than try to scrape them, however.

As for the question of my possible "half-blood" tricolor, I had forgotten that there are 2 separate tubers in that pot. It would appear that the other has started blooming, and it looks exactly as I had expected. So whether the other is a true tricolor or not, at least one appears to be for certain.

Clayton

[Clayton]

And also, my austropurpureum is now blooming. Although these flowers are all much tinier than I had imagined previously, they are so brightly colored and just beautiful!

Clayton

[Jean-Patrick AGIER]

Hello,
Tr BEUTHII hasn't been shown or discussed much on this forum. Probably due to its relative rarity?
Here's a picture of my plant raised from seed 1 or 2 years ago.
JP

[Roma]

I grew Tropaeolum beuthii from SRGC seed in 2010.  It flowered the first year but I do not remember seeing it since.  Two shoots appeared this winter and it is flowering now.