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From: Petra Schmidt <petra at PLANTDELIGHTS.COM>
Subject: Arisaema hybridization
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Hello Chris and Irisman,
It is frustrating to put out a question or comment and not receive commen=ts
back...but, most of the time, what can we say?  So much is unknown, so ma=ny
of us are just playing with hybridization, and sometimes, we're not even
sure if what we have to comment about is worthwhile.  And then, of course=,
there's that old problem of time...or lack of it.
That said, here's my observations on a season of playing with hybridizing
Arisaemas...I emphasize the word playing.  I check the spadix for
male/femaleness and then keep an eye on them for maturity; if I have enou=gh
females, enough pollen, and enough different species, then I'll play with
crossing and see what happens.  Last season I used pollen from an
Amorphophallus with Arisaema taiwanensis...the thing actually set fruit.
The seed turned out not to be viable, but, hey, I'll try it again this
season.  Yes, the flowers could've been already pollinated before I did m=y
magic with the Amorph. pollen, I don't know, because I'm not working unde=r
laboratory conditions here but I do watch the females for their fertile
stage and have fresh pollen ready.  I also used pollen from Pinellia for
Arisaema heterophyllum and again, a nice fruit set, and again, poorly
developed seeds.  I also tried pollen from Arisaema cordatum with Typhoni=um
and this time, the seed was solid and now I've got a few seedlings; will =see
what they actually turn out to be.  I also tried pollen from A. saxatile
with Typhonium divaricatum, and that failed.  The good thing about playin=g
with hybridization is that the failures are seen fairly quickly; the
successes are nice, but always questionable until I can repeat that
pollination with success another year.
I worked with aroid hybrization at MO for many years, focusing on Anthuri=um
and Philodendron, under greenhouse conditions, so that's where I'll say I
got my training.  I assign each pollination attempt a number and  I keep =a
pollination notebook and track pollination date, time of day, parents,
pollen condition, female condition, failure date, fruit set date, harvest
date, and then seed sown date, germination date, and transplant out date.
Last season, I made 46 pollination attempts, not many compared to my days=at
MO, but this season I'll hopefully up that amount.
If anyone else wants to share their hybridization attempts, we'd like to
hear them.
Petra



Petra Schmidt
Research/Special Projects Manager
Juniper Level Botanic Garden @ Plant Delights Nursery
9241 Sauls Road
Raleigh, NC 27603
petra at plantdelights.com
919-772-4794 phone
919-662-0370 fax