Othonnas

[Aiko]

Same experience, based on just one species. I have not (yet) managed to get seeds from Othonna clavifolia from three clones. They flower well enough, though.

Actually, I think I have a few seeds now! Noticed today I have at least three things that look very much like seed. They appear to be a bit greyish and elongated, about millimeter long. Must be seeds, I cannot imagine anything else even though I have not actually watched them being stuck to the fluffy flower remains. I have another (hopefully pollinated) flower wilting away, I will have a better look at that as soon as it falls apart.

[Apicra]

It seems they do not experience much difficulty with setting seed on Othonnas elsewhere. Chen Qing in Shanghai of China reports many successful hybrids:
http://www.ispotnature.org/node/539351

Anyone growing Othonna hybrids in the UK yet?

Best wishes,
Derek Tribble

[Tina]

I'm a bit excited as I have seedlings of othonna cyclophylla.
This is my favourite Othonna, I have two unrelated plants and pulled off one flower and presented it to all the flowers that were fully open at the time, popped in last week and just threw some of the seed onto a pot with damp soil and then placed the pot in a sealed bag not really expecting any results, after all the talk previously about othonna I couldn't see any difference in the seed ends, ie fat/thin ones or difference in colour so really wasn't expecting any germination.
The proud parents, these have grown well over the years especially when originally they were single stems until I cut the growing points.

[Herts Mike]

Cyclophylla or cremnophila?

[Tina]

Cyclophylla or cremnophila

I'm not sure, google both names and you get the same plant.
Is ispot supposed to be more accurate ?, if so it says 'Othonna cremnophila B.Nord. & van Jaarsv.
Aloe 42(1-2): 4 (-7; figs.). 2005 . http://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/SUCC ... ila/album/#

We have Derek giving a talk on Friday so I'll take it for the table show with a new label/pencil.

[MikeDom]

Nice adult plants Tina and you're lucky so many seeds are viable. I decided to return some of the pollen that was all over the tables from the flowers on my plants of O. filicaulis back onto the flower heads (just messing about). They each produce 10 - 15 flowers and drop tons of pollen. This resulted in 2 pollinated flowers and 16 seeds, producing just the one germinated seedling so far. Why did I bother when I have 28 plants already which I've been growing for the past 17 years? Rude not to I suppose if the plants have made the effort.

Distinctive purple coloured stems and leaf underside on this species.

[Tina]

Hi mike,
28 plants, how big is your greenhouse ?, do you have photo's of the adult

[MikeDom]

Hi Tina,

They're all reverting underground now, but they are shown earlier in the season in this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=167469&p=271737&hil ... is#p271737

I must raise the tubers above ground to show them off, now some have decide to produce multiple shoots so are creating extra growing points and should look good above the soil.

I'm a sucker for plants and if they all germinate I find a place for them, although I've started giving plants away now so I can make some room. They get transferred to different shaded greenhouses in summer to live with the Conophytums, Tylecodon and other winter growers.

In answer to the question about my greenhouse, the answer is 'not big enough'. Have ordered seeds of O. perfoliata, quercifolia, sonchifolia, dentata and retrofacta just to make things worse.

[Apicra]

Hi Tina,

I'll bring that issue of Aloe magazine along on Friday and yet can get the full story about Othonna cremnophila "the most impressive species of the genus Othonna". It will fit in well with the SA Northern Cape presentation to Northampton & Milton Keynes BCSS branch, when I travelled with Ernst van Jaarsveld.

Best wishes,
Derek Tribble

[MikeDom]

Othonna triplinervia started flowering today, very late in the season. It got very heavy with top growth a few years ago and bent over but it is self supporting. The new shape is growing on me.