Seed exchange 64(2010-2011) No 1557 - erigeron karvinskianus

[robg]

This doesn't look like compositae seed.   Anyone who has received it any ideas what it might be?


Rob





Edited to show seed exchange number 64 in title to avoid confusion 

[mark smyth]

Any photos Rob?

[robg]

Ooops ! I've planted them.  I'm part of the distribution team and a report came back from a 'customer' that these didn't look like the right seed so the rest were bucketed, except those of us who were up for a challenge.

5mm long, black, flat and trapezoidal.

Part of the reason for posting was to see if anyone else had this seed and warn that it was probably a mis-packeting by the donor.

Rob

[wooden shoe]

I have received my Exchange seeds today (postmark 7 January, it's seems to be a long way from Edinburgh to the Netherlands). I have also ordered Erigeron karvinskianus and I must agree with the other Rob that they don't look like seeds which you would expect on a 'daisy'.
I have attached a picture, unfortunately I can not use flash with macro, so it's not 100% sharp, but maybe someone can possibly identify the family.
Let's hope it grows to something nice. Anyway thanks to everyone who is involved in the exchange. As long as I can get so many special seeds for such a minor fee I don't mind if some seed get's mixed up.

[Maggi Young]

Thanks for the photo, Rob, I'll see it gets passed to the Seed Team ( though the other Rob will likely do that do....


I've been hearing from Alan Hayes of the Seed Team today that mail is still arriving  to him with postmarks from early December so it seems the postal system is in a real muddle in many ways!


The online seed ordering system is now closed for the season.

[Lesley Cox]

The seeds in the picture look rather like an Habranthus/Zephranthes or something of that type. I may be able to photograph the Erigeron seeds as a garden along the road has a long line of it down the drive and it's been in flower for ever. Incidentally E. karvinskianus is on the NZ "prohibited" list which means it is illegal to grow it. It spread by windborn seed to a dangerous degree and I get seedlings from the lot along the road every year. They terrify me more than ragwort.

[fermi de Sousa]

The seeds in the picture look rather like an Habranthus/Zephyranthes or something of that type. I may be able to photograph the Erigeron seeds as a garden along the road has a long line of it down the drive and it's been in flower for ever. Incidentally E. karvinskianus is on the NZ "prohibited" list which means it is illegal to grow it. It spread by windborn seed to a dangerous degree and I get seedlings from the lot along the road every year. They terrify me more than ragwort.

I know that Habranthus tubispathus turns up in Seedexes as other rain-lilies and even similar genera such as Rhodolirion/Rhodophiala but this would be the first time it has pretended to be a daisy!!!
 
Like you, Lesley, I'm not fond of this invasive thug (the erigeron) but I've found a pink form available commercially (I can't remember the name, probably something like "pink froth" !) is a lot more demure and hasn't spread at all! The original was widely used by that doyen of Australian garden designers Edna Walling - it was one of her signatures to have erigeron spilling out over rock walls and at the edge of steps.
cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

I've already started to harvest and clean seeds for the NEXT list. some have beautiful fruit. Didn't we have a thread somewhere for autumn fruits? I can't find it.

[Maggi Young]

I've already started to harvest and clean seeds for the NEXT list. some have beautiful fruit. Didn't we have a thread somewhere for autumn fruits? I can't find it.

 You can easily start a new topic on that for 2011, Lesley.

[Lesley Cox]

I've already started to harvest and clean seeds for the NEXT list. some have beautiful fruit. Didn't we have a thread somewhere for autumn fruits? I can't find it.

 You can easily start a new topic on that for 2011, Lesley.

Will do Maggi. I don't think that these wonderful fruiting plants are grown nearly enough.

[robg]

To follow up on this thread - I've got germination of 6 seeds which are showing the bulb growing format at the moment of things like narcissus.  I don't know how habranthus come up initially, but I've had plenty of bulbs seeds germinate like this.

Rob

[Lesley Cox]

Habranthus/Zephranthes/Rhodophiala come up much like Narcussus or Muscari, frequently still with the triangular black seed coat attached to the top, like Fritillaria/Tulipa/Lilium.

[wooden shoe]

That fully describes the seedlings, Lesley. At this moment my seedlings are 3 cm tall. Let's see what will grow out of it.

Rob (NL)