Hepatica 2011

[Gunhild Poulsen]

Thanks for the information about Osmocote. I think it is very valuable to hear the experiences from other growers – and not less the warnings.
I always use to add Osmocote directly in the pots, but hearing about your bad experience I maybe should reconsider what to do in this spring!!!

Michael I don’t doubt your blue Hepatica is a nobilis, I was just praising the special for this plant.
Gunhild

[kalle-k.dk]

Gunilla I have tried to find description of the scent in Hepatca and have found a description that says that the American species H. acuta can have a strong but pleasant scent. I ask Gunhild and she says she has experienced scent of H. nobilis v. pyranaica and believe that there are plants in all species there can have scent.

I have read that Hepatica transsilvanica has 28 chromosome and Hepatica nobilis and several of the other species have only 14 chromosomes. How can they be crossed to what we know as x media? I always thought that plants the can be crosses must have the same chromosome number. Is this total wrong?

It's still cold here in Denmark, but today there was sun and several of our Hepatica was full open.

Gunda and Kalle,
Denmark

[Mavers]

Thank you Gunhild & Michael for the info. I have been to the cottage Garden snowdrop day today so I apologise for not thanking you before.

I do find the clay pots dry out quickly, I was wondering whether to paint the outside of the pots with something to reduce evaporation rather than disturb them all again.

Beautiful photos Cheryl thank you. 

[Hoy]

Gunilla I have tried to find description of the scent in Hepatca and have found a description that says that the American species H. acuta can have a strong but pleasant scent. I ask Gunhild and she says she has experienced scent of H. nobilis v. pyranaica and believe that there are plants in all species there can have scent.

I have read that Hepatica transsilvanica has 28 chromosome and Hepatica nobilis and several of the other species have only 14 chromosomes. How can they be crossed to what we know as x media? I always thought that plants the can be crosses must have the same chromosome number. Is this total wrong?

It's still cold here in Denmark, but today there was sun and several of our Hepatica was full open.

Gunda and Kalle,
Denmark

Gunda/Kalle, its usually no problem crossing a diploid plant like H nobilis (2n=14) with a tetraploid H transsilvanica (2n=28). The progeny will be triploid (2n=21) but usually sterile.

[Michael J Campbell]

Hepatica  Japonica haruno awayuki, a difficult colour to photograph.
Hepatica hokutosei. Not fully open yet.
Hepatica japonica   'Murasaki'
Hepatica  Japonica akafuku,

With thanks to Karl & Gunhild.

[Michael J Campbell]

Hepatica japonica to-sen.  Think I posted this one before.

[angie]

Hepatica japonica to-sen.  Think I posted this one before.

Michael who cares if you posted it before, it's worth another look. Keep posting your hepaticas they are so lovely. 

Angie

[kalle-k.dk]

HOY; THANK YOU for the informations, it was very usefull.

Michael; Fantastic picture, Good to see they are growing well.

A few more from today.

Gunda and Kalle

[Hoy]

HOY; THANK YOU for the informations, it was very usefull.

Gunda and Kalle

You are welcome!
Triploids usually don't make neither good pollen nor egg cells as the 3 sets of chromosomes will form trivalents during meiosis and not the usual bivalents. That makes unbalanced chromosome sets in the cells.

If you want a triploid plant to be fertile you have to use something like colchicine to stop the chromosome segregation during meiosis. But be aware! Its very poisonous! (I have not used it myself so I can't tell you how to use it.)

[Gunhild Poulsen]

I understand crossing of diploid and tetraploid gives triploid and infertile plants, but I’m wondering why cross between transsilvanica and pubescens - the so called x euroasiatica - as for example Prof.F. Hildebrandt is infertile – both parents are tetraploid.
There must be other factors than the chromosome which have influence of the fertilisation, or am I wrong?
Gunhild

[Hoy]

I understand crossing of diploid and tetraploid gives triploid and infertile plants, but I’m wondering why cross between transsilvanica and pubescens - the so called x euroasiatica - as for example Prof.F. Hildebrandt is infertile – both parents are tetraploid.
There must be other factors than the chromosome which have influence of the fertilisation, or am I wrong?
Gunhild

Yes, it is. Even if chromosome numbers are even chromosomes can fail to make functional bivalents, or male and/or female sterility can occur due to a lot of different genetic conditions both of Mendelian and cytoplasmic origin.

I have to say however that I am no expert in these matters and do not cross plants in a scientific way

[YT]

Thanks for all showing your hepaticas These are my unnamed seedlings.

[ChrisB]

What a wonderful clear blue that is, YT!

Michael,  thanks so much for the tips for improving my hepatica.  I have it in a long tom pot but I will repot after it finishes flowering I think, taking your advice.

[annew]

A very beautiful blue!

[Mavers]

 I have lost hepaticas through being too damp so I'm now using a little more loam in my compost together with some 'Ultrasorb' for its free draining qualities like I use for my cypripediums.