Hippeastrum 2016

[jshields]

Hippeastrum mandonii is starting to bloom in the big greenhouse.  This is pretty late for mandonii.  Last year, it didn't bloom at all, and the year before that it refused to set seed when self-pollinated.



Jim

[jshields]

Right at Christmas time in December, 2015, many of my Hippeastrum aulicum bulbs bloomed.



I pollinated these flowers among themselves like mad.  Now, about 1 month later, it looks as if only very few actually are maybe going to make seeds.

[Maggi Young]

You'd wonder just what these plants do want, wouldn't you?  Very rewarding when thing do go right , though!

[François Lambert]

I also pollinated my flowers in 2014.  Allthough I started with 2 bulbs they must be the same clone and so not self-fertile (like many Hippeastrum species), in the end small seedpods did develop, but there were no seeds in.  Perhaps we should have a pollen exchange here to overcome nature's barriers to inbreeding.  But still check for provenance (my bulbs also come from the USA).

[jshields]

A pollen exchange would be a good idea, especially for anything in the Amaryllidaceae.  I have my approach to storing pollen described at:

http://www.shieldsgardens.com/info/Pollen.html

In my experience, Hippeastrum pollen is only good for a little less than 12 months, so none of the pollen I currently have stored in the freezer will be viable anymore.  The stuff on hand is at least a year old, or older.

I have H. psittacinum (ex seed from Mauro) about ready to bloom, if anyone is interested in that pollen.

Jim

[fermi de Sousa]

Sadly we in Australia cannot receive pollen from overseas now because of the threat of varroa mite to our honey-bee population
cheers
fermi

[Robert]

Jim,

The seed of the various Hippaestrum species germinated extremely well and are coming along (i.e. getting big). It will most likely be anther season until they start blooming. I will be glad to share pollen with those that are interested when they start blooming.

[jshields]

This is Hippeastrum psittacinum, raised from seed from Mauro Peixoto.  This species is native to Brazil, and I think it is probably closely related to H. glaucescens and H. iguazuanum.  This bulb is blooming for the first time, and with two scapes!  I think other seedlings from this batch probably bloomed last year.







I am trying to self-pollinate this one, since no other bulbs of psittacinum are showing any signs of a scape so far.

Jim

[jshields]

Sorry about the cockeyed images.  I had them rightside up to begin with, but they were in OneDrive, Microsoft's cloud system.  So I will blame Microsoft for screwing up my pictures!

Jim

[Maggi Young]

Sorry about the cockeyed images.  I had them rightside up to begin with, but they were in OneDrive, Microsoft's cloud system.  So I will blame Microsoft for screwing up my pictures!

Jim

  I've straightened them up, Jim! 

[jshields]

Thank you, Maggi!  The world may be getting a bit too complicated for me.

Jim

[Maggi Young]

I doubt that, Jim!  I The sideways "thing" seems to happen at random - but quite often. I think it's something to do with how the initial files were saved - but I don't know really! 

[johnralphcarpenter]

Hippeastum vittatum flowering now.

[jshields]

Hippeastum vittatum flowering now.

I am not at all sure what vittatum is supposed to look like.  It is probably extremely variable, since H. harrisonii is also supposed to be a synonym of vittatum.


Hippeastrum harrisonii

On another note, my self-pollination of H. mandonii seems to have failed.  Selfing psittacinum results are still up in the air.


Hippeastrum psittacinum

Regards from sunny and mild (12 C  in Feb is very mild!) Indiana

Jim

[johnralphcarpenter]

I am not at all sure what vittatum is supposed to look like.  It is probably extremely variable, since H. harrisonii is also supposed to be a syn

Mine is similar to the one pictured on the PBS Wiki, but with less pronounced white markings.