More on D. uniflora

From: Ivan Snyder (bioexp@juno.com)
Date: Sun Oct 29 2000 - 09:40:40 PST


Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2000 09:40:40 -0800
From: Ivan Snyder <bioexp@juno.com>
To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com
Message-Id: <aabcdefg3149$foo@default>
Subject: More on D. uniflora

When last I wrote on my very rare sundew from Chile, --Drosera uniflora,
I told that it had flowered and was not producing seed. Two days ago
while looking at the apparently unexpanding seed capsule and feeling
dejected, I decided to dissect it. I first cut the scape and then ripped
off the sepals. What I saw made me realize the scope of my error. Time
seemed to stop as I was frozen in a spectacle of horror! The capsule is a
sort of cone shape with the point of the cone facing downwards towards
the receptacle. It had been growing out vertically but increased little
in diameter. When I cut open the capsule, about a dozen tear-drop shaped
comparatively large (about poppy seed sized) seed were revealed
developing. At least now I do know that the plant is self fertile.

In correspondence about this species, Filippo Tassara in Italy told me
that he had sown seed of D. uniflora and it took 8 months to begin
sprouting. I was not looking forword to such a lengthy stratification, so
this reconcile my mistake somewhat. Who am I fooling, I'm an idiot!
Anyway, this has given me more impetus to get this plant into tissue
culture. Starting from seed would take too long. Leaf tissue is the only
way to go.

I previously reported that the flower of my plant had 5 styles and a 5
parted ovary and appeared normal. Filippo informed me that the literature
states that this species has 3 styles and a 3 parted ovary. I guess my
plants flower must have been aberrant. I sent Filippo a scanned photo of
the flower and he told me that it was much larger than others he had seen
of the plant. Is my plant a different variant from typical? This I hope
to learn in the next flowering.

Ivan Snyder
Hermosa Beach
California



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