No subject

[Arisaema Enthusiast Group (AEG) Discussion List (and other=]

hardy  Aroids)" <ARISAEMA-L at NIC.SURFNET.NL> Aroids)" <ARISAEMA-L at NIC.SURFNET.NL>
Sender: "Arisaema Enthusiast Group (AEG) Discussion List (and other=
From: "J.E. Shields" <jshields104 at INSIGHTBB.COM>
Subject: Storing pollen and pollinating aroids.
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

Hi all,

Has anyone on this list tried to store pollen of Arisaema for later use? =I
plan to experiment with that this spring, whenever my plants bloom.  The
usual ways of storing pollen involve drying it at room temperature for
several hours -- usually 8 to 36 hrs., depending.  Then it is placed in a=n
air-tight, moisture proof container and stored in a freezer (well below 0
deg C/32 deg F).  For various monocots I've tried this with, the pollen
remains viable and useful for anywhere from 6 months or a year, on up to =2
to 5 years.  However, I have never tried this on an aroid.

Is there any experience that this does NOT work for Arisaema pollen?

The water slurry method of pollinating Arisaema is amazing to me.  All th=e
other monocot pollens I've ever worked with are burst by the osmotic
pressure if they just contact plain water.  Is there something different
about the integument of aroid pollen?

Jim Shields
in central Indiana, USA

*************************************************
Jim Shields             USDA Zone 5             Shields Gardens, Ltd.
P.O. Box 92              WWW:    http://www.shieldsgardens.com/
Westfield, Indiana 46074, USA                   Tel. +1-317-896-3925