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National Collection of Diascias
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 |
#2
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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 |
#3
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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 |
#4
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National Collection of Diascias
In message , Stewart Robert Hinsley
writes 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? Thats a good question. I've tried but somehow they don't work on the same plant or clones. I'd need another strain to have any hope of so doing, and I've few plants where I have had different sources. Almost all the material that I have was brought back by Hilliard & Burtt, two botanists from Edinburgh who revised the genus in the 1980s. So, I'm stuck. And the plants are a bit endangered in the wild now too, some are on the red list in fact. I worry about this a lot. -- Chris Boulby National Collection of Diascias Please note new email address: |
#5
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National Collection of Diascias
In article , Chris Boulby
writes Why can't you manually pollinate the plants to get seeds? Thats a good question. I've tried but somehow they don't work on the same plant or clones. I'd need another strain to have any hope of so doing, and I've few plants where I have had different sources. Almost all the material that I have was brought back by Hilliard & Burtt, two botanists from Edinburgh who revised the genus in the 1980s. So, I'm stuck. And the plants are a bit endangered in the wild now too, some are on the red list in fact. I worry about this a lot. The obvious explanation for your problems with seed set is that Diascia is self-incompatible. I've found a web site (just the one) that states that this is the case. The usual explanation given for plants deteriorating after generations of vegetative propagation is a build up of viral load. For reasons not obvious to me, micropropagation (sometimes?) clears this up. An alternative to obtaining seed is to exchange cuttings with other growers - in the hope that they have a different clone. Ness Botanic Gardens on the Wirral have quite a few Diascias, but I think they're all hybrids. Sunningdale in Gloucestershire, according to the web, have a least a couple of species. -- Stewart Robert Hinsley |
#6
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National Collection of Diascias
In article , Chris Boulby
writes Why can't you manually pollinate the plants to get seeds? Thats a good question. I've tried but somehow they don't work on the same plant or clones. I'd need another strain to have any hope of so doing, and I've few plants where I have had different sources. Almost all the material that I have was brought back by Hilliard & Burtt, two botanists from Edinburgh who revised the genus in the 1980s. So, I'm stuck. And the plants are a bit endangered in the wild now too, some are on the red list in fact. I worry about this a lot. The obvious explanation for your problems with seed set is that Diascia is self-incompatible. I've found a web site (just the one) that states that this is the case. The usual explanation given for plants deteriorating after generations of vegetative propagation is a build up of viral load. For reasons not obvious to me, micropropagation (sometimes?) clears this up. An alternative to obtaining seed is to exchange cuttings with other growers - in the hope that they have a different clone. Ness Botanic Gardens on the Wirral have quite a few Diascias, but I think they're all hybrids. Sunningdale in Gloucestershire, according to the web, have a least a couple of species. -- Stewart Robert Hinsley |
#7
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National Collection of Diascias
In article , Chris Boulby
writes Why can't you manually pollinate the plants to get seeds? Thats a good question. I've tried but somehow they don't work on the same plant or clones. I'd need another strain to have any hope of so doing, and I've few plants where I have had different sources. Almost all the material that I have was brought back by Hilliard & Burtt, two botanists from Edinburgh who revised the genus in the 1980s. So, I'm stuck. And the plants are a bit endangered in the wild now too, some are on the red list in fact. I worry about this a lot. The obvious explanation for your problems with seed set is that Diascia is self-incompatible. I've found a web site (just the one) that states that this is the case. The usual explanation given for plants deteriorating after generations of vegetative propagation is a build up of viral load. For reasons not obvious to me, micropropagation (sometimes?) clears this up. An alternative to obtaining seed is to exchange cuttings with other growers - in the hope that they have a different clone. Ness Botanic Gardens on the Wirral have quite a few Diascias, but I think they're all hybrids. Sunningdale in Gloucestershire, according to the web, have a least a couple of species. -- Stewart Robert Hinsley |
#8
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National Collection of Diascias
In article , Chris Boulby
writes Why can't you manually pollinate the plants to get seeds? Thats a good question. I've tried but somehow they don't work on the same plant or clones. I'd need another strain to have any hope of so doing, and I've few plants where I have had different sources. Almost all the material that I have was brought back by Hilliard & Burtt, two botanists from Edinburgh who revised the genus in the 1980s. So, I'm stuck. And the plants are a bit endangered in the wild now too, some are on the red list in fact. I worry about this a lot. The obvious explanation for your problems with seed set is that Diascia is self-incompatible. I've found a web site (just the one) that states that this is the case. The usual explanation given for plants deteriorating after generations of vegetative propagation is a build up of viral load. For reasons not obvious to me, micropropagation (sometimes?) clears this up. An alternative to obtaining seed is to exchange cuttings with other growers - in the hope that they have a different clone. Ness Botanic Gardens on the Wirral have quite a few Diascias, but I think they're all hybrids. Sunningdale in Gloucestershire, according to the web, have a least a couple of species. -- Stewart Robert Hinsley |
#9
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National Collection of Diascias
In message , Stewart Robert Hinsley
writes In article , Chris Boulby writes Why can't you manually pollinate the plants to get seeds? Thats a good question. I've tried but somehow they don't work on the same plant or clones. I'd need another strain to have any hope of so doing, and I've few plants where I have had different sources. Almost all the material that I have was brought back by Hilliard & Burtt, two botanists from Edinburgh who revised the genus in the 1980s. So, I'm stuck. And the plants are a bit endangered in the wild now too, some are on the red list in fact. I worry about this a lot. The obvious explanation for your problems with seed set is that Diascia is self-incompatible. I've found a web site (just the one) that states that this is the case. The usual explanation given for plants deteriorating after generations of vegetative propagation is a build up of viral load. For reasons not obvious to me, micropropagation (sometimes?) clears this up. An alternative to obtaining seed is to exchange cuttings with other growers - in the hope that they have a different clone. Ness Botanic Gardens on the Wirral have quite a few Diascias, but I think they're all hybrids. Sunningdale in Gloucestershire, according to the web, have a least a couple of species. Hi Stewart, Yes, that's right, they are self incompatible. Hector Harrison, the man responsible for breeding them soon discovered this and shared his knowledge with us very generously. It doesn't stop me giving it another go once in a while, but it always seems to fail. And it may well be that micropropagation could clear up viral load, but I am not certain. I have seen micropropped cuttings many a time which contain a virus that now infects some plants. But I do not have access to micro propagation of course, and those who do are very selective over what they choose to use. They invariably have commercial interests at heart, nothing else. Its an expensive business, and one I cannot hope to have access to. I do have contact with a number of places that have plants of course, and they with me, but no one to my knowledge has much material other than that which was brought in by Hilliard & Burtt. This I think I mentioned, swapping plant material with people such as botanical gardens or other trusted friends. And I've just read Silverhills latest newsletter. The S. African govt are about to introduce a biodiversity bill that will make it even more difficult to legitimately obtain plant material to export. -- Chris Boulby National Collection of Diascias Please note new email address: |
#10
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National Collection of Diascias
In message , Stewart Robert Hinsley
writes In article , Chris Boulby writes Why can't you manually pollinate the plants to get seeds? Thats a good question. I've tried but somehow they don't work on the same plant or clones. I'd need another strain to have any hope of so doing, and I've few plants where I have had different sources. Almost all the material that I have was brought back by Hilliard & Burtt, two botanists from Edinburgh who revised the genus in the 1980s. So, I'm stuck. And the plants are a bit endangered in the wild now too, some are on the red list in fact. I worry about this a lot. The obvious explanation for your problems with seed set is that Diascia is self-incompatible. I've found a web site (just the one) that states that this is the case. The usual explanation given for plants deteriorating after generations of vegetative propagation is a build up of viral load. For reasons not obvious to me, micropropagation (sometimes?) clears this up. An alternative to obtaining seed is to exchange cuttings with other growers - in the hope that they have a different clone. Ness Botanic Gardens on the Wirral have quite a few Diascias, but I think they're all hybrids. Sunningdale in Gloucestershire, according to the web, have a least a couple of species. Hi Stewart, Yes, that's right, they are self incompatible. Hector Harrison, the man responsible for breeding them soon discovered this and shared his knowledge with us very generously. It doesn't stop me giving it another go once in a while, but it always seems to fail. And it may well be that micropropagation could clear up viral load, but I am not certain. I have seen micropropped cuttings many a time which contain a virus that now infects some plants. But I do not have access to micro propagation of course, and those who do are very selective over what they choose to use. They invariably have commercial interests at heart, nothing else. Its an expensive business, and one I cannot hope to have access to. I do have contact with a number of places that have plants of course, and they with me, but no one to my knowledge has much material other than that which was brought in by Hilliard & Burtt. This I think I mentioned, swapping plant material with people such as botanical gardens or other trusted friends. And I've just read Silverhills latest newsletter. The S. African govt are about to introduce a biodiversity bill that will make it even more difficult to legitimately obtain plant material to export. -- Chris Boulby National Collection of Diascias Please note new email address: |
#11
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National Collection of Diascias
In message , Stewart Robert Hinsley
writes In article , Chris Boulby writes Why can't you manually pollinate the plants to get seeds? Thats a good question. I've tried but somehow they don't work on the same plant or clones. I'd need another strain to have any hope of so doing, and I've few plants where I have had different sources. Almost all the material that I have was brought back by Hilliard & Burtt, two botanists from Edinburgh who revised the genus in the 1980s. So, I'm stuck. And the plants are a bit endangered in the wild now too, some are on the red list in fact. I worry about this a lot. The obvious explanation for your problems with seed set is that Diascia is self-incompatible. I've found a web site (just the one) that states that this is the case. The usual explanation given for plants deteriorating after generations of vegetative propagation is a build up of viral load. For reasons not obvious to me, micropropagation (sometimes?) clears this up. An alternative to obtaining seed is to exchange cuttings with other growers - in the hope that they have a different clone. Ness Botanic Gardens on the Wirral have quite a few Diascias, but I think they're all hybrids. Sunningdale in Gloucestershire, according to the web, have a least a couple of species. Hi Stewart, Yes, that's right, they are self incompatible. Hector Harrison, the man responsible for breeding them soon discovered this and shared his knowledge with us very generously. It doesn't stop me giving it another go once in a while, but it always seems to fail. And it may well be that micropropagation could clear up viral load, but I am not certain. I have seen micropropped cuttings many a time which contain a virus that now infects some plants. But I do not have access to micro propagation of course, and those who do are very selective over what they choose to use. They invariably have commercial interests at heart, nothing else. Its an expensive business, and one I cannot hope to have access to. I do have contact with a number of places that have plants of course, and they with me, but no one to my knowledge has much material other than that which was brought in by Hilliard & Burtt. This I think I mentioned, swapping plant material with people such as botanical gardens or other trusted friends. And I've just read Silverhills latest newsletter. The S. African govt are about to introduce a biodiversity bill that will make it even more difficult to legitimately obtain plant material to export. -- Chris Boulby National Collection of Diascias Please note new email address: |
#12
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National Collection of Diascias
In message , Stewart Robert Hinsley
writes In article , Chris Boulby writes Why can't you manually pollinate the plants to get seeds? Thats a good question. I've tried but somehow they don't work on the same plant or clones. I'd need another strain to have any hope of so doing, and I've few plants where I have had different sources. Almost all the material that I have was brought back by Hilliard & Burtt, two botanists from Edinburgh who revised the genus in the 1980s. So, I'm stuck. And the plants are a bit endangered in the wild now too, some are on the red list in fact. I worry about this a lot. The obvious explanation for your problems with seed set is that Diascia is self-incompatible. I've found a web site (just the one) that states that this is the case. The usual explanation given for plants deteriorating after generations of vegetative propagation is a build up of viral load. For reasons not obvious to me, micropropagation (sometimes?) clears this up. An alternative to obtaining seed is to exchange cuttings with other growers - in the hope that they have a different clone. Ness Botanic Gardens on the Wirral have quite a few Diascias, but I think they're all hybrids. Sunningdale in Gloucestershire, according to the web, have a least a couple of species. Hi Stewart, Yes, that's right, they are self incompatible. Hector Harrison, the man responsible for breeding them soon discovered this and shared his knowledge with us very generously. It doesn't stop me giving it another go once in a while, but it always seems to fail. And it may well be that micropropagation could clear up viral load, but I am not certain. I have seen micropropped cuttings many a time which contain a virus that now infects some plants. But I do not have access to micro propagation of course, and those who do are very selective over what they choose to use. They invariably have commercial interests at heart, nothing else. Its an expensive business, and one I cannot hope to have access to. I do have contact with a number of places that have plants of course, and they with me, but no one to my knowledge has much material other than that which was brought in by Hilliard & Burtt. This I think I mentioned, swapping plant material with people such as botanical gardens or other trusted friends. And I've just read Silverhills latest newsletter. The S. African govt are about to introduce a biodiversity bill that will make it even more difficult to legitimately obtain plant material to export. -- Chris Boulby National Collection of Diascias Please note new email address: |
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