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#1
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Magnolia Berries
Last year, for the first time ever, I had a red berry on my Magnolia tree.
There are no other Magnolias in the immediate area, and I am wondering if the berry appeared because some errant bee had visited a Magnolia some distance away and then managed to pollinate a single flower on my tree? I ask because I think that this year I would like to collect some pollen from anothe Magnolia and see if I can get more berries on my tree ( I think it would increase the attractiveness of the tree, which is actually rather dull except in spring ). Of course, I'd only be able to pollinate a few flowers but it would be an interesting experiment, if it works I might get a second Magnolia for pollination. Andy. |
#2
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On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 17:50:18 -0000, "andrewpreece"
wrote: Last year, for the first time ever, I had a red berry on my Magnolia tree. There are no other Magnolias in the immediate area, and I am wondering if the berry appeared because some errant bee had visited a Magnolia some distance away and then managed to pollinate a single flower on my tree? I ask because I think that this year I would like to collect some pollen from anothe Magnolia and see if I can get more berries on my tree ( I think it would increase the attractiveness of the tree, which is actually rather dull except in spring ). Of course, I'd only be able to pollinate a few flowers but it would be an interesting experiment, if it works I might get a second Magnolia for pollination. Andy. Treseder ('Magnolias', Faber&Faber 1978) says: "When the flowers open, the reproductive organs become fully exposed and the stamens split and shed their pollen, but by this time the stigmas have withered and become dry for they are usually only receptive while the flowers are closed....... It has been found that they are largely pollinated by flower beetles (Nitidulidae species) which crawl between the overlapping tepals into the warm sheltered environment of the flower chamber, and it is probable that other insects likewise seek food and shelter there. It seems likely that they can only assist in pollination when they have previously visited older flowers and become smeared with pollen." and "Fertilisation does not occur until the pollen grains have germinated on the receptive surfaces of the stigmas and the male nucleus cells have fused with the female egg cells in the ovaries within the carpels. In magnolias there appears to be a critical temperature for pollen germination and with some magnolias this could be as high as 70 to 80 deg.F, an air temperature seldom if ever attained in British gardens in April and May. While lower temperatures are apparently adequate for pollen germination on many of the Himalayan species, some of which begin to bloom among deep snow drifts in their natural environment, one rarely finds fertile fruit cones in British gardens on such magnolias as M. stellata, M. denudate and M. liliflora, or on any of the American species, some of which can produce quite spectacular displays of fruit cones in the eastern states of America, as do the Asian species just mentioned." and "Apparent self-incompatibility recorded.....for a wide range of magnolia species, is more recently attributed to the absence of pollinating beatles at the brief and critical period of pollen shedding." From the above, I conclude that the flowers are only receptive to pollen while closed or possibly for a very short time after they open. Pollination is by insects that enter the flower before it opens, and the British climate is not conducive to successful pollination. The flowers may or may not need pollen from other specimens. How all this fits with your magnolia setting a seed pod last year I'm not sure. Perhaps the spring was particularly warm. Whatever it was that caused the pod to set, it doesn't seem as though you could count on it being a regular occurrence, whether by self pollination or by pollen from another specimen. -- Chris E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net |
#3
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"Chris Hogg" wrote in message ... On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 17:50:18 -0000, "andrewpreece" wrote: Last year, for the first time ever, I had a red berry on my Magnolia tree. There are no other Magnolias in the immediate area, and I am wondering if the berry appeared because some errant bee had visited a Magnolia some distance away and then managed to pollinate a single flower on my tree? I ask because I think that this year I would like to collect some pollen from anothe Magnolia and see if I can get more berries on my tree ( I think it would increase the attractiveness of the tree, which is actually rather dull except in spring ). Of course, I'd only be able to pollinate a few flowers but it would be an interesting experiment, if it works I might get a second Magnolia for pollination. Andy. Treseder ('Magnolias', Faber&Faber 1978) says: "When the flowers open, the reproductive organs become fully exposed and the stamens split and shed their pollen, but by this time the stigmas have withered and become dry for they are usually only receptive while the flowers are closed....... It has been found that they are largely pollinated by flower beetles (Nitidulidae species) which crawl between the overlapping tepals into the warm sheltered environment of the flower chamber, and it is probable that other insects likewise seek food and shelter there. It seems likely that they can only assist in pollination when they have previously visited older flowers and become smeared with pollen." and "Fertilisation does not occur until the pollen grains have germinated on the receptive surfaces of the stigmas and the male nucleus cells have fused with the female egg cells in the ovaries within the carpels. In magnolias there appears to be a critical temperature for pollen germination and with some magnolias this could be as high as 70 to 80 deg.F, an air temperature seldom if ever attained in British gardens in April and May. While lower temperatures are apparently adequate for pollen germination on many of the Himalayan species, some of which begin to bloom among deep snow drifts in their natural environment, one rarely finds fertile fruit cones in British gardens on such magnolias as M. stellata, M. denudate and M. liliflora, or on any of the American species, some of which can produce quite spectacular displays of fruit cones in the eastern states of America, as do the Asian species just mentioned." and "Apparent self-incompatibility recorded.....for a wide range of magnolia species, is more recently attributed to the absence of pollinating beatles at the brief and critical period of pollen shedding." From the above, I conclude that the flowers are only receptive to pollen while closed or possibly for a very short time after they open. Pollination is by insects that enter the flower before it opens, and the British climate is not conducive to successful pollination. The flowers may or may not need pollen from other specimens. How all this fits with your magnolia setting a seed pod last year I'm not sure. Perhaps the spring was particularly warm. Whatever it was that caused the pod to set, it doesn't seem as though you could count on it being a regular occurrence, whether by self pollination or by pollen from another specimen. Many thanks Chris, that's all I could wish to know on the subject! Looks like I'm on a loser here. As to the weather last spring, it wasn't good, there was plenty of wind and rain when the flowers were on the Magnolia, and it spoiled the show slightly. How I managed to get even a single berry is amazing considering how conditions seem to conspire against it! Andy. |
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