(Phrag. x Mexipedium) Seed Capsule

[John Boy]

Hiya Tom,
any update for us?
Bye the way: your pictures are gone. Any chance to pull them back up for us?

 

[tomkalina]

John,

Sorry to report there was no germination. This has been the problem with all the (Phrag. x Mex.) crosses we've attempted in the past; the capsules look good, but the seed is apparently not viable. Here's the photo - sorry for the under-exposure.

 

[John Boy]

Thank you Tom!
One thing I’ve been wondering since getting into Mexipedium is the question of how much “pollen-matter” is needed, to truly pollinate another flower?. We normally don’t come across this issue with other (tropical) slippers, but it seems to me there would have to be some sort of a discussion or consideration weather a single xerophyticum pollen, (and forget the issues of compatibility or chromosome counting,) is physiologically capable or able to pollinate a flower of any other “normal” Phragmipedium or Paphiopedilum proportion. On any daily basis I can easily pollinate 3-4 flowers (Paphiopedilum) with one pollen, if I need to. It seems to me (and I have no data or reference for this whatsoever) that a Mex. xerophyticum pollen is simply put not enough bio-material to pollinate something of a Paph. rothschidlianum size. So my theoretical starting point would be to use at least 2 or more pollen for any given pollination.
I’m not even sure if that would be any practical, since very few people I know would have sufficient xerophyticum flowers available to give it a go… At the end of the day: It may well be pointless to try, since it’s just a funny idea of mine, which has nothing much more behind it, than a hunch.

 

[TropiCool]

Hi, I know it's a few months on, but I just came across this thread...and am intrigued as the rest of you. I keep thinking Mexipedium could provide a bridge between phrags and hardy cyps...so I'm curious about what has been tried so far.

Anyway, one factor not mentioned so far is the length of the pollen tubes. Seems the programming for pollen tube length (reasonably enough) is set for the distance between pistil and ovaries. Mexipedium doesn't need to go far to hit the target, whereas phrags would have more of a stretch. So it's possible that the mexipedium pollen tube just stopped before reaching the ovules of the phrag. Could be the non viable seedlings are actually haploids, essentially products of stimulus without cross fertilization, and thus too weak to prosper.

Have you tried the reverse cross?

I've also read about hybridizers cutting through the flowers and applying pollen farther down the pistil (this on non-orchids).

Erik

Thank you Tom!
One thing I’ve been wondering since getting into Mexipedium is the question of how much “pollen-matter” is needed, to truly pollinate another flower?. We normally don’t come across this issue with other (tropical) slippers, but it seems to me there would have to be some sort of a discussion or consideration weather a single xerophyticum pollen, (and forget the issues of compatibility or chromosome counting,) is physiologically capable or able to pollinate a flower of any other “normal” Phragmipedium or Paphiopedilum proportion. On any daily basis I can easily pollinate 3-4 flowers (Paphiopedilum) with one pollen, if I need to. It seems to me (and I have no data or reference for this whatsoever) that a Mex. xerophyticum pollen is simply put not enough bio-material to pollinate something of a Paph. rothschidlianum size. So my theoretical starting point would be to use at least 2 or more pollen for any given pollination.
I’m not even sure if that would be any practical, since very few people I know would have sufficient xerophyticum flowers available to give it a go… At the end of the day: It may well be pointless to try, since it’s just a funny idea of mine, which has nothing much more behind it, than a hunch.

 

[NYEric]

Welcome to the forum.