Hepatica 2013

[johngennard]

cont'd

[johngennard]

cont'd

[angie]

Well, what could you say. Just simply lovely 

Angie 

[kalle-k.dk]

Hepatica nobilis flora plena from seeds, all from this year.

[kalle-k.dk]

Hepatica nobilis flora plena from seeds, all from this year. NO. 7 got very small flowers and with two colors.

[annew]

Very exciting, Karl!

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Fantastic results Karl ! 

[kalle-k.dk]

Thank you. It is very exciting every time a flower bloom.

[annew]

Can someone give me an easy way to distinguish between H. nobilis and japonica? I've got some unlabelled seed pans.
Also hepaticas at Ashwoods nursery are going to be on Gardeners' World - BBC 2 Friday April 5th 8:30pm.

[kalle-k.dk]

It is not easy, Hepatica nobilis var. nobilis and Hepatica nobilis var. japonica, both are varieties of Hepatica nobilis and therefore they are very similar. It's easiest if you know where the plant comes from; Europe = H. nobilis var. nobilis, Japan; H. nobilis var. japonica. All filled forms I make from seeds come from seedlings whose parents are found in Estonia and on Öland in Sweden and the form/variety 'Cremar' so I know 100% sure it is H. nobilis var. nobilis. I made the parents from seeds as I bought from Severin Schlyter many years ago.
Hepatica nobilis var. japonica is available in three variations; japonica, variegata and magna and in Japan there is also another species; Hepatica pubescens. They are all similar, but different from each other in the form of leaves, the number of chromosomes, the number and the forms of petals and a few other things. Hepatica nobilis var. nobilis is hardier than all plants from Japan and I think there is a slightly difference in the shape of the leaves and flowering time.

[Diane Clement]

Recent DNA findings by Ben Zonneveld show that H japonica is not so closely related to H nobilis as previously thought.  DNA count for H nobilis is around 33 whereas for H japonica it is around 36.  The findings put H japonica as a ssp of H asiatica.  H pubescens form is tetraploid with a DNA count of around 70, and that is now put also as a ssp of H asiatica.  I have the paper here as pdf, could send it to anyone interested.  The paper also separates out the two American species from H nobilis, and puts H americana as the type, and acutiloba now as H americana ssp acuta.

But this doesn't help determination by looks alone!  These are my thoughts and others will probably disagree!  H nobilis and H (asiatica ssp) japonica have a big overlap in characteristics, but on average, nobilis flowers are bigger and there are less petals on the single flower.  The leaves are more rounded on nobilis than japonica. (but there are lots of exceptions)  The anthers of nobilis tend to be white, whereas on japonica they are often (but not always) in contrasting colours.  Hope that helps a bit, Anne!   

[annew]

You don't happen to have a DNA sequencing kit handy, I suppose? Is there an app for that? 
I did wonder about the anther colour, but was hoping leaves might be different. Most of the plants I have labelled as nobilis have white anthers. I suppose it's possible the ones that don't may be hybrids. The difference in chromosome number would suggest that nobilis x japonica hybrids would be sterile, which is the caes in the one plant I know to be of that parentage.

[ChrisB]

Found this seedling in the garden today.  Sorry its an attachment, can't quite figure out how to show it as a thumbnail here.

edit by maggi- photo added

[ChrisB]

Thanks Maggi - don't know what I'd do without you.... xxxxx

[David Nicholson]

Very nice Mrs B, very pretty shade.