Cleistogamous
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Please respect all forum members opinions and if you can't make a civil reply, don't reply!
- iann
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Cleistogamous
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?
I did spot this flower last year. I'm not missing much.
Cheshire, UK
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Re: Cleistogamous
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.
Ed
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- Paul in Essex
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Re: Cleistogamous
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.
- ralphrmartin
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Re: Cleistogamous
Fraileas are like this too, usually, but it's a treat when one does open its flower.
Ralph Martin
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Re: Cleistogamous
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
Rob
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
Rob
Rob; BCSS 60414
- ralphrmartin
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Re: Cleistogamous
Thanks Rob, I learnt a new word today!
Ralph Martin
https://www.rrm.me.uk/Cacti/cacti.html
Members visiting the Llyn Peninsula are welcome to visit my collection.
Swaps and sales at https://www.rrm.me.uk/Cacti/forsale.php
My Field Number Database is at https://www.fieldnos.bcss.org.uk
https://www.rrm.me.uk/Cacti/cacti.html
Members visiting the Llyn Peninsula are welcome to visit my collection.
Swaps and sales at https://www.rrm.me.uk/Cacti/forsale.php
My Field Number Database is at https://www.fieldnos.bcss.org.uk
- iann
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Re: Cleistogamous
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.
Cheshire, UK
- iann
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Re: Cleistogamous
Avonia quinarioides always opens its flowers, often quite a lot of them
Cheshire, UK
- iann
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Re: Cleistogamous
Even A, recurvata if it gets hot enough. Not a bad flower for this type of Avonia.
Cheshire, UK