FRITILLARIA DAVIDII FRUITING 2011

[Darren]

 Fritillaria davidii capsule and seed.

[Lesley Cox]

Very well done Darren. I hope these photos get as far as the Frit Group Bulletin and wasn't it Mathew who said there was no record of seed in cultivation or words to that effect? Or that seed capsules had never been observed? So your pictures are of an historic nature and importance.

[Maggi Young]

I agree, Lesley, this is an important observation/event..... have moved this to its own thread!

[Paul Cumbleton]

Hi Darren
Good to see you got Fritillaria davidii seed. Chris Norton & I have also managed to get seed this year. At the Spring Fritillaria Group meeting Chris had a plant (I believe from the Wallis's) which was in bud but not yet fully open. I had another which was in flower (traceable to a Chen Yi import in 2001) and which was clearly a different clone - shorter, more rounded leaves than Chris's and with the flowers much more yellow with less tesselation. I suggested that I would save pollen from my plant and post it to him once his was open. We did this and he manged to get two pods. Bob Charman took pictures of the pods (which I have not yet seen) and I took pictures of the seed once Chris sent me some.

What have you done with your seed? We decided the best thing to do was to sow it immediately. I have put my pot outside in cool shade and will keep it moist. Fingers crossed.

Paul

Here are pictures of the seed next to a ruler (marked in millimetres) and of the flower on my plant:

Fritillaria davidii seed
Fritillaria davidii flower

[Maggi Young]

It seems to me that this year it has been lucky that assorted factors have worked out to provide the necessary conditions for seed formation..... now to work out what all those factors were for you guys!

[arisaema]

Has anyone managed to flower it in the open garden? I'm not sure where I should plant mine, a moist spot in full sun, or half shade?

[Gerry Webster]

Has anyone managed to flower it in the open garden? I'm not sure where I should plant mine, a moist spot in full sun, or half shade?

Martyn Rix & Brian Mathew (in Curtis's Botanical Magazine, 2000) refer to plants "put out in a woodland situation in south-west England, in Devon, [which] have survived but not flowered."

[JohnLonsdale]

It is hardy to at least 4F without snow cover planted out in a raised bed/frame here. The bed froze like an ice block each winter.  I had it for 4 or 5 years from a Chinese introduction where it increased in size and vigor annually but never flowered, then I moved it into the garden when I dismantled the frame.  I haven't looked at it recently but it certainly hasn't flowered.  It favors partial shade in a soil that does not dry out in summer.  Each year it made new leaves in September/October and went dormant in May.

Best,

John

[arisaema]

Thank you both for the comments! It survived -20C/-4F in a pot my cold frame this last winter, so it really is bone hardy. If it prefers partial shade for you John, in Pennsylvania, it would probably be happier with full sun here in Norway.

[Darren]

The seed was sown immediately Paul, exactly as you did, and some sent to another grower as extra insurance who did the same.

Your story is similar to mine - the pollen parent was very similar to your 'Chen Yi' clone and both were in flower together at the Hexham show. I do not yet know if the reverse cross worked. Two capsules formed on mine but I lost one as the stem became damaged further down.

Just repotted the seed parent and was delighted to find a lot of very large bulbs this year (up to 5cm across in one case).

[Darren]

Ian posted a picture of the first of his share of the seeds germinating back in August. It took a few more weeks (late september) before any of mine popped up despite being sown on the same day. I am happy to report I now have 14 seedlings (see picture) which seem to be doing well.

I have also posted a close up to show that some of the seedlings are now growing true leaves alongside the cotyledon.

[shelagh]

Great news Darren, well done.

[chasw]

Well done,I never managed to ever get mine in flower,

 Paul is Chen Yi still in business,I did deal with her for a while ,then suddenly all went quiet,I wondered if she was getting hastle from the authorities

[art600]

Chen Yi is certainly in business.

She send out an extensive list this year - fingers crossed there have been no natural disasters  to reduce what is available this year.

[David Nicholson]

Search and ye shall find

http://chenyinursery.com/