Caulophyllum thalictroides

[robg]

I'm packing seeds.  Can someone tell me please if each 'dried berry' of this contains one seed or multiple.  I've only got 20 'seeds' to pack and am asked to make 10 packets, so you can see the reason for my query.

Rob

[Afloden]

Each bluish structure is a single seed with a fleshy coating.

[Maggi Young]

Thanks, Aaron - good to have you around!


This picture of a germinated seed is from the website of Forumist Gabriela 



I would  respectfully suggest that the outer coating should be cleaned off  before packeting and that 2 seeds  is not a suitable  quantity for a packet!     Perhaps you need to check that with the Bainbridges asap.?

[Gabriela]

Thank you Maggi  and I'll be excused but I really need to point out that Caulophyllum (which has become my nemesis) is a species with hydrophilic seeds - they really must be kept moist at all times. This is the reason I don't donate Caulophyllum to any seedex although it is a most wonderful woodland plant.

More than this, the few germinated seeds from my image were exceptions, all the others from last year are still waiting for the second cold period to germinate. Everything else I tried to speed up germination failed. I dissected the seeds in various stages and although they are very large, the tiny embryo is completely undeveloped and very slow to do so.

I still have moist stored seeds, including of last year - I could send a package for SRGC to distribute the seeds if you tell me how many would you like. I cannot send individual packets because of the size; need to be posted as a parcel.

If someone managed to germinate Caulophyllum from dry seeds/or speed up germination I would be very interested to know.

[Maggi Young]

Gabriela, your offer is kind - but I think it may be better for those seeking the plant to contact you direct to buy seed  that has been kept in the optimum conditions you describe.

The SRGC seed team, like others of its kind , do try to provide seed in the best possible condition to members, but it is not possible in our  situation to do the VERY best in each case - but we do try!

 It will be good to hear the experiences of others, particularly with dry seed, as Gabriella suggests.

[fleurbleue]

I have never had success with Caulophyllum thalictroides seeds from seedexchange, as with Ranziana seeds, I have ever ordered each time I saw them in the seed list. So, this year...

[robg]

Thanks guys for all your comments.  This is one of those situations where I know now that I am packing a seed or two that may well come to nothing !!

Not unlike then the other situation where you receive a pack of seeds that you suspect will come to nothing, and rarely let you down !!  The furtherance of that is the pots of seeds that should come to something .... but never do 

Rob

[Gabriela]

Since the Caulophyllum subject is already open – last week I did more cross-sections through the seeds (kept moist at all times) and for those interested:
Immature embryo in seeds collected this year (in late Aug.-Sept).


An the fully developed, quite large embryo after one year.  Maybe one more cold period required to break the radicle dormancy (?).

[Rick R.]

Really interesting, Gabriela!
I don't think many of us (at least not me) realized it could take that long for an embryo itself to develop, once removed from the plant.
Thanks for taking the time to show us!

[Gabriela]

I find it a very beautiful species, which should be really cultivated more. Fortunately the large seeds make it easier for a in depth look at what's happening in there, although I recommend to use a wood board and steady hands. The endosperm has a corky texture, it's not easy to cut through it.
In fact the embryo sits in a little 'chamber'


and when fully grown starts pushing up the micropyl - when I first saw it I thought about an 'alien' opening its ‘space capsule’ hatch  (but that may be from too many SF novels reading...)