Acis 2009

[Alessandro.marinello]

David
beautifulst flower

[David Nicholson]

Thank you Alessandro. I take that as praise from the Master

[Alessandro.marinello]

David I attend the first year

[Rodger Whitlock]

Acis rosea pictured in the greenhouse today. I got this bulb in 2007 and it has always flowered but doesn't seem to multiply?

Watch for seed. I have a large (5 liters) pot of Acis rosea grown from seed and most flowers set more seed. You can store you home-harvested seed dry in the house until late winter when you start sowing all the treasures that have arrived from the exchanges.

Close inspection of my plants suggests that none of them have multiplied vegetatively, but this is such an easy bulb to grow from seed that it hardly matters.

Acis autumnalis and A. nicaeensis are equally easy, but the other small Acis species are, in my experience, fairly difficult plants to make happy.

[Paddy Tobin]

David,

As Rodger has said, Acis grows very easily from seed. I have several of the smaller ones in troughs outdoors and the only trouble is to ensure that the seed falls onto the trough and not outside. It germinates with ease and is doing its best to fill the trough.

Paddy

[Paul T]

I haven't ever had seed set on my couple of bulbs, but then I haven't hand pollinated either.  Doesn't multiply for me here either as far as I am aware.  Might have to try hand pollinating it next flowering.  They're beautiful flowers, aren't they.  Such a delicate colour.

[johnw]

Doesn't multiply for me here either as far as I am aware.

Paul - I just transplanted A. roseum and longiflorum.  The bulbs are quite a good size but nary an offset. These and the Leucojums still had hefty white roots despite being completely dormant above ground. 

Has anyone hybridized any Acis or are there chromosomal differences?

johnw

[Luc Gilgemyn]

The most delicate pink David !  Very nice indeed !

[David Nicholson]

Thanks everyone, I shall try to pollinate it.

[pehe]

Lovely Acis, David. I will give that a try if I can get some seeds from the seed exchange.

I have Acis autumnale flowering now. I do not know what clone it is. Can anyone give me a hint?
It performs very well both in the sunny rock garden and in a more shady and humid place. It flowers freely and set lots of seeds.

Poul

[Martin Baxendale]

Has anyone hybridized any Acis or are there chromosomal differences?

johnw

Stern, in 'Snowdrops and Snowflakes', gives the following chromosome counts: 2n= 14 or 21, autumnale and trichophyllum; 2n=14, aut. pulchellum; 2n=16, roseum; 2n=18, nicaense; 2n=22, vernum and aestivum. Doesn't of course take into account the changes in genus.

[johnw]

Has anyone hybridized any Acis or are there chromosomal differences?

johnw

Stern, in 'Snowdrops and Snowflakes', gives the following chromosome counts: 2n= 14 or 21, autumnale and trichophyllum; 2n=14, aut. pulchellum; 2n=16, roseum; 2n=18, nicaense; 2n=22, vernum and aestivum. Doesn't of course take into account the changes in genus.

Martin - Obviously missed that in Stern.  It doesn't leave us with many options
 does it?

johnw

[Martin Baxendale]

Not many guaranteed options, unfortunately. Then again narcissus with quite widely varying chromosome numbers will sometimes cross and produce viable seed, though presumably not a lot of seed. Don't know of anyone who has tried any systematic crossings with acis or leucojum. Crossing vernum and aestivum might be interesting if only for hybrid vigour. Shame roseum and autumnale don't have the same chromosome numbers. That would be interesting - the possibility of autumnal acis with hybrid vigour and pink flowers. Might still be worth a try.

[Paolo]

Poul, your plants look like my A. aut. var. oporantha.
I have few seeds of A. rosea and I can send them to you if you write me your address (privately)

[Maggi Young]

Pamac! How good it is to have you begin posting... and with such an attractive picture  - Thank you!