Arisaema hand pollination

[Maggi Young]

Dave, I can only bring up the middle link, other two are denied access.

[Slug Killer]

Strange but true. Don't know why this is as they are the correct links. If you hover the mouse over the link you want and right click, select 'copy shortcut' then open a new browsing window and enter it in to the address bar it works!

David

[Maggi Young]

Strange but true. Don't know why this is as they are the correct links. If you hover the mouse over the link you want and right click, select 'copy shortcut' then open a new browsing window and enter it in to the address bar it works!

David

Yes, that works okay! Thanks, Dave.

[DavMac]

Male inflorescences are easily identified without having to cut them open. There is a small pore at the base of the spathe which isn't present on a female inflorescence. If you try the water trick then you need to either seal the pore or else place a collection container under the pore.

I tried to find a photo to show the pore but the closest I came with my photos was one showing the base bulging out to form the pore from behind.

David

[Lesley Cox]

How do you open a new browser window please, after selecting Copy Shortcut? OK, so I never claimed to be smart with computers.

[Diane Clement]

How do you open a new browser window please, after selecting Copy Shortcut? OK, so I never claimed to be smart with computers.

Either click on Internet Explorer (or whatever browser you use) from your desktop,
Or go to Start menu and select it from there,
Or just open any old page from your Favourites and then click into the address bar and paste your new address into the address bar

[Lesley Cox]

Oh, as easy as that eh? Thanks again Diane.

[Susan]

Lesley, I use Mozilla Firefox, but I think it also works in Internet Explorer.  If you right click on the website a box comes up and you just click "Open in new window". In fact,  I have just checked IE and if you go to "File" at the top left - it has a box that says New Window - try that.  Give me a call if that doesn't work and I will try and talk you through it.

Cheers,

Susan

[Slug Killer]

If you are using windows XP next to your favourite star button (top left) there is the large tab (page) you are actually on now and viewing this screen. You can select the little tab next to it and open a new window and then another if you wish. This way you can move between various pages very quickly without having to close or open new internet explorer pages. If this does not make sense I will e-mail you a picture if you want.

Dave

[Slug Killer]

The pollination update. I tried using just a brush and also swirling the male pollen in water before pouring over the female.

Both worked well but using a little brush is a lot easier when you have just one or two. The water method would be ideal if you had a lot of plants to do as you could collect plenty of pollen and then just go around pouring.

Dave

[mickeymuc]

Hi Dave,

In Dan Hinkley's book ("The explorer's garden") he writes about pollination problems in Arisaema - in species with male and female inflorescences he writes they picked the male ones, put them into a blender with some water and a drop of detergent and mixed all together. The resulting liquid was dropped into the female inflorescences.
I have never tried this myself, I've had seed set without help on ciliatum, consanguineum, elephas, triphyllum and tortuosum.
Still self-pollination is a possible explanation (rain is no different to water poured into the inflorescence) if inflorescences are bisexual, otherwise maybe some hybridisation occurred?
I think the first option is true, but we'll see.

Michael

[Gene Mirro]

I just tried the method of filling the flower with water and then sucking it back out.  It didn't work well on sikokianum.  The water leaked out the bottom of the flower very quickly.  I then tried the artist's paint brush method.  We'll see how that worked in a few months.