Re: Re: Quoting, flowering of VFTs

dave evans (T442119@RUTADMIN.RUTGERS.EDU)
Fri, 17 May 96 17:59 EDT

> From: Clarke Brunt <clarke@BRUNT.DEMON.CO.UK>
>
> I'm pretty sure mine have produced seed by themselves, but its hard
> to say as I now have more than one. They never produce much seed
> though despite my efforts at pollenation. Only occasionally has a
> flower developed a nice seed capsule with lots of seed. More often I
> just find the odd seed in among the debris of the dead flower.

They are self fertile, they just need help with pollenation. They
are set up so the pollen is released a day or so *before* the stigma
become receptive. Often, if the VFT is too cool or isn't getting
enough light, no pollen will be produced.

> Surely a Sarr. flower can't be too small? I've never really bothered
> to try to get seed from mine. Do you realise where the receptive bits
> of the stigma are? Somewhere near the 'points' ot the umbrella bit of
> the flower I am told. This is very different from Darlingtonia where
> there is a more traditional stigma on the end of the seed capsule.

It's an ovary until, of course, the seed grows :). Some Sarr.
flowers are to small to work with easily. S.rubra, which really
is more than one species, have some very small flowers on some
of the "species" in the complex. S.psittacina are also fairly
small. Perhaps the original author has S.psittacina and not S.
purpurea?

Dave Evans