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Author Topic: Infertility of meconopsis?  (Read 2532 times)

Philippe

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Infertility of meconopsis?
« on: November 01, 2010, 10:27:22 AM »
Hi

I'd just like to ask this question: might it be that a M.napaulensis doesn't set seed at all?
I had it in the garden for a few years ( but just 1 plant). It grew beautiful and very healthily, a wonder, but I just didn't get one seed! So it has gone away without any possibility of renewal.
I somewhere read that the weather should generally be not too dry or warm for the meconopsis to form healthy seed. But that's almost always the case by us, so I don't understand why it went so wrong with the seeds. M.betonicifolia and M.grandis otherwise have no problems by me, but I have several plants of each.
I am at present trying again with some new young plants offered by a friend ( under M.regia, but it already looks more like a paniculata, a napaulensis, or a cross between the both) and wouldn't like to fail another harvest, if possible.
So if you have ideas, they will be welcomed!
Thanks
Philippe
NE-France,Haut-Chitelet alpine garden,1200 m.asl
Rather cool/wet summer,reliable 4/5 months winter snow cover
Annual precip:200/250cm,3.5°C mean annual temp.

gote

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Re: Infertility of meconopsis?
« Reply #1 on: November 02, 2010, 07:54:47 AM »
The big monocarp Meconopsis are very much hybridized and I believe most of those growing in Europe are interspecific hybrids.
Meconopsis are self fertile as a rule but some hybrids are not because the parents have different chromosome numbers.
Several named varieties of the tall blue perennials are sterile for that reason. (In spite of that, seed of these are offered commercially  >:( )
I think you will get seed the next time.
Göte
Göte Svanholm
Mid-Sweden

Philippe

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Re: Infertility of meconopsis?
« Reply #2 on: November 04, 2010, 09:06:20 PM »
Thank you for the answer ;)
NE-France,Haut-Chitelet alpine garden,1200 m.asl
Rather cool/wet summer,reliable 4/5 months winter snow cover
Annual precip:200/250cm,3.5°C mean annual temp.

James Cobb

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    • Meconopsis World - a visual reference
Re: Infertility of meconopsis?
« Reply #3 on: November 25, 2010, 08:00:48 PM »
As far as I am aware the only regularly self fertile Meconopsis is superba. Single plants of almost all oher species usually do not set seeds. James Cobb
Meconopsis World - a visual reference
http://meconopsisworld.blogspot.co.uk/

ashley

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Re: Infertility of meconopsis?
« Reply #4 on: November 25, 2010, 08:51:22 PM »
M. paniculata is self-fertile too, in my experience.
Ashley Allshire, Cork, Ireland

gote

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Re: Infertility of meconopsis?
« Reply #5 on: November 26, 2010, 03:41:16 PM »
I bought a single plant of what is now again M baileyi in the sixties and all my baylies are seedlings from that single plant. The alba form as well as the lingholm i got somewhat later also seem self fertile. I have also got seeds on delavayii when only one plant flowered. I am not as sure of aculeata but a number of seedlings has appeared around a single plant.
Göte.
Göte Svanholm
Mid-Sweden

 


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