Podophyllum flowering

[Tony Willis]

also can we see a picture of the leaves?

[Brian Ellis]

Podophyllums are certainly fascinating, I have just had another seed germinate...is it usual so late in the year?

[johnw]

Podophyllums are certainly fascinating, I have just had another seed germinate...is it usual so late in the year?

Brian  - Every weekend I have been moving Podos into single deep pots from their communal pots.  I record on the label the number of seeds originally planted. The germination at first glance appeared to be around 60-70%.  Most seeds sprouted 2.5 months ago.  However when re-potting I found only a few rotten seeds, the others were either still firm or at various stages of sprouting.  That was a big surprise and meant that I still had to replant the communal pot.  Don't give up on the non-sprouters and by the way not a single plsnt collapsed in the bare-rooting / re-potting process.

The aurantiocaule ssp. aurantiocaule sprouted but still have not sent the cotyledons above ground though the stems are above ground - hard to tell which end is which.

johnw

[Lesley Cox]

Podophyllums are certainly fascinating, I have just had another seed germinate...is it usual so late in the year?

Just be grateful Brian.

[Paul T]

I've just had seed of P. pleianthemum germinate recently (I checked the pot yesterday and found a half dozen with radicals).  Having been reminded just how nice they are by this topic, I am even more pleased. 

Now wait a half dozen years and I might have flowers to show. 

[johnw]

Brian  - I might add that even seedlings which sprouted yet the cotyledons got snagged in the seed coat and subsequently rotted off at the top but still with good stem are quite active underground and some ready to send up a true leaf.  Lesson - discard nothing.

johnw

[Brian Ellis]

Thanks for the clarification folks, I had said to John privately that I was concerned earlier in the year as everyone was reporting their seeds sprouting and nothing was happening with mine.  I guess it is just localised conditions....phew

[Tony Willis]

I've just had seed of P. pleianthemum germinate recently (I checked the pot yesterday and found a half dozen with radicals).  Having been reminded just how nice they are by this topic, I am even more pleased. 

Now wait a half dozen years and I might have flowers to show. 

Paul if you plant them in a rich moist soil they can flower in their third year but perhaps more chance in my cool moist climate.

This year because I had a lot germinate  I planted them straight outside in a nursery bed and many of  them have produced their first leaf.

[Paul T]

Tony,

No space!    Still nice to know potentially only 3 years.

[Graham Catlow]

Hi
My Podophylum delavayi flowering now.
I have posted a picture of the leaves in the Podophylum leaves thread

Graham

[Tony Willis]

Graham nice leaves in the other thread.

I was looking at my delavayi flowers earlier and see that nearly all the anthers and some of the stigmas have been eaten by slugs. Do you find this a problem ?

[Graham Catlow]

Graham nice leaves in the other thread.

I was looking at my delavayi flowers earlier and see that nearly all the anthers and some of the stigmas have been eaten by slugs. Do you find this a problem ?

Hi Tony,
I find that pellets do a good job. They don't get all the blighters but do keep them to a minimum. So I don't have the problem you have.
Graham

[Lesley Cox]

My 'Spotty Dotty' (who named the poor thing?) has a nice cluster of flowers, well red by now but not quite open yet.

What I like about the seedlings of several species is that they can be potted individually within weeks of germinating and so grow on much quicker than if all bunched together in a smaller pot.

[Lesley Cox]

Well 'Spotty Dotty' is in flower at last but even now may be going over as we've had several very hot (33C the hottest) and very windy (gusts to 130kph) days when anything that likes the cool, has suffered. I've put the pot out in the sun to take the pics and they give SOME idea but not the brilliant, deep, glowing red that is the reality. I think it is GORGEOUS! Yesterday the flowers were out wider, like an extended hand but the weather was impossible for photographs.

[Maggi Young]

I have a mental picture of you scrabbling on the ground trying to get these photos, Lesley!

I think you've captured the flowers... and the hairy stems, rather well. It really is a super plant, no wonder you were delighted to be given it.

The petals have a great texture, sort of waxy silk, which shows quite well in the photos. I think your flwoers are longer and more elegant than the ones I have. Hard to remember now.... but I think the flowers on mine were stumpier. Yours almost look like Meconopsis punicea flowers, only made of  a heavier textured fabric!   I find these podos fascinating too.