Phragmipedium kovachii

[Drorchid]

Robert,

Still looking good in her old age! When do you plan to harvest the pollen and make all the crossed you mentioned?

Best Regards,
Nik

We already did it last Friday. The interesting thing is that when we took the pollinia off, we noticed that a lot of the pollen was gone. To our surprise a lot of it had migrated to the backside of the stigma. Looking more closely at the pollinia we noticed that the pollinia are almost touching the sigma (part of it is that the pollinia are so huge). When the pollinia touch the stigma, the pollen will start forming pollen tubes, and start growing towards the stigma (thus a lot of it was already stuck on the stigma). Because it does this, this particular plant is autogamous (self-pollinates). I don't know if it is just this clone that does it, or if all kovachii's self pollinate. We were however able to scrape enough pollen to make several crosses.

Robert

 

[Ernie]

Interesting. Fading at day 8. If that's typical, maybe self-pollinating is typical and if one could "prevent" it, maybe the flower life would be longer???

-Ernie

 

[gonewild]

We already did it last Friday. The interesting thing is that when we took the pollinia off, we noticed that a lot of the pollen was gone. To our surprise a lot of it had migrated to the backside of the stigma. Looking more closely at the pollinia we noticed that the pollinia are almost touching the sigma (part of it is that the pollinia are so huge). When the pollinia touch the stigma, the pollen will start forming pollen tubes, and start growing towards the stigma (thus a lot of it was already stuck on the stigma). Because it does this, this particular plant is autogamous (self-pollinates). I don't know if it is just this clone that does it, or if all kovachii's self pollinate. We were however able to scrape enough pollen to make several crosses.

Robert

Does this mean that the flower has self pollinated to the point that it would produce seed? If you put another flowers pollen on the flower will the progeny be mixed?

Any idea if the kovachii growing in the wild have a high percentage of seed pods set? This would support self pollination as you are suggesting.

 

[Drorchid]

Interesting. Fading at day 8. If that's typical, maybe self-pollinating is typical and if one could "prevent" it, maybe the flower life would be longer???

-Ernie

"Fading" may have been "too" strong of a word, but definitely the color of the petals is less intense and lighter than when it first opened.

Robert

 

[Drorchid]

Does this mean that the flower has self pollinated to the point that it would produce seed? If you put another flowers pollen on the flower will the progeny be mixed?

Any idea if the kovachii growing in the wild have a high percentage of seed pods set? This would support self pollination as you are suggesting.

Yes, I am guessing that it will produce seed due to self-pollination.

I have seen pictures of kovachii in the wild with 2 to 4 seedpods on one flower stalk, so this may suggest that they do self-pollinate, but we won't know for sure until we bloom more kovachii's in cultivation.

Robert

 

[Ernie]

"Fading" may have been "too" strong of a word, but definitely the color of the petals is less intense and lighter than when it first opened.

Robert

Looks like it's starting to get papery too?

-Ernie

 

[Kyle]

Any idea if the kovachii growing in the wild have a high percentage of seed pods set? This would support self pollination as you are suggesting.

I never saw anything that would suggest self pollination in the wild. Having been to sites of other known self pollinators like boisarianum and lindenii, I would say self pollenation of kovachii is the exception not the rule. Plus, many of Perufloras hybrids were done with kovachii as the parent, and they are blooming out correctly. It is difficult to use a selfpollinator as a capsule parent.

On the 4n conversion. Lots of growers have treated protocorms. So I am positive lots of 4N plants are out there. When Peruflora began exporting flasks, they were not very uniform. The flasks contained everything from protocorms to plants able to come out - and everything in between. Those with the know how were able to treat a few protocorms in flask. Peruflora did treat some protocorms as well, but having reviewed thier protocols, I would be surprised if they got any conversion. EYOF would be one place I would expect to have 4N plants.

Oh... nice flower. I'm impressed are its uniformity and lack of reflexing.

Kyle

 

[TrueNorth]

Did you give this kovachii a clonal name? How did you make out with the crosses? They must be close to blooming by now?