Cleistogamous

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iann
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Cleistogamous

Post by iann »

Haven't had a word for a while, so here we go. This Avonia grisea is covered in fruit and throws its seed around everywhere. Despite close attention, I see flowers for maybe one in twenty of them. Most likely, the majority never open. These are cleistogamous flowers. Why open if you can get seed by staying closed?
grisea-0530.jpg
I did spot this flower last year. I'm not missing much.
grisea-0609.jpg
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edds
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Re: Cleistogamous

Post by edds »

Love that word. I have Geranium ocellatum (and used to have another close relative of it, biuncinatum) that does the same. Once the summer weather gets going you do get a decent show of open flowers too, fortunately.
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Paul in Essex
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Re: Cleistogamous

Post by Paul in Essex »

Great word! The biggest weed in my garden - violet - enjoys this method of reproduction and is as much of a nuisance outside in my cacti and succulents as oaxalis is under glass.
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Re: Cleistogamous

Post by ralphrmartin »

Fraileas are like this too, usually, but it's a treat when one does open its flower.
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Re: Cleistogamous

Post by RJC »

Technically Fraileas are (I think based on my limited observation) 'chasmogamous', a type of cleistogamy in which the 'fate' of the flower bud is determined at the outset; most set seed without opening but some go on to flower. However, a cleistogamous bud won't go onto open, whereas of course a flower may go on to set seed. Incidentally F chiquitana is reputed to be not cleistogmous at all, and none of my flowers have set seed, so possibly it is not self-pollinating.

The cleistogamy in Fraileas explains why there are so many 'distinctive' morphologies, arising as a result of inbreeding. Which is why the taxonomy of the genus is littered with so many names and synonyms.

See this review (although it doesn't mention Frailea)
https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio ... ngiosperms

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Re: Cleistogamous

Post by ralphrmartin »

Thanks Rob, I learnt a new word today! (tu)
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iann
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Re: Cleistogamous

Post by iann »

Sometimes even Avonia grisea decides to party. These are chasmogamous flowers. Must be something in the air because all three plants opened some flowers on the same day.
grisea-0708.jpg
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iann
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Re: Cleistogamous

Post by iann »

Avonia quinarioides always opens its flowers, often quite a lot of them
quinarioides-0715.jpg
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iann
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Re: Cleistogamous

Post by iann »

Even A, recurvata if it gets hot enough. Not a bad flower for this type of Avonia.
recurvata-0716.jpg
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