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Old 05-01-2004, 11:13 PM
Stewart Robert Hinsley
 
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Default National Collection of Diascias

In article , Chris Boulby
writes
Sorry, but I simply had to start a new thread. The subject is the
correct spelling of diascias. Hope you'll allow the old thread to fade
away.

I am having enormous difficulty at the moment with species. As some of
you will know, they don't last forever, and taking cuttings of cuttings
of cuttings seems to weaken the plants. Some are fine, but others do
suffer. And it is awfully difficult to obtain seed from diascias except
in the wild because they have no natural pollinators in this country.
The very specialised oil collecting bee that pollinates them in South
Africa has very long forelegs that go deep into the spurs of the plant
and the pollen is deposited on their body. The stamens of the true
species are at different angles and thus the species are not cross
pollinated in the wild. Its quite fascinating actually, but it does
mean I cannot get seed very easily at all. So if anyone knows of wild
collected seed I would love to hear from you - I do get some from
Silverhills, but they don't go many of the habitats where some of the
rarer diascias hang out, and the species I once had are diminishing in
numbers despite my distribution tactics.
Chris Boulby National Collection of Diascias


Why can't you manually pollinate the plants to get seeds?
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley
http://www.meden.demon.co.uk/Malvaceae/Malvaceae.html