|
Post by dvg on Jul 5, 2013 14:57:30 GMT -5
Don't be too disheartened there Lloyd. Setbacks will happen with all growers -setbacks can be turned into positives for the future if something is learned from the experience: new knowledge that can be applied in time. The bigger picture here is that you are trail-blazing your way through your Parasitic Plant hobby. You probably don't have a forum to go to and ask newbie questions and I would guess that there is a scarcity of cultivation info for PPs. Having to feel your way through this hobby without a lot of outside guidance, requires one to make some decisions by intuition and even by guess... ...and sometimes our intuition is off. I have to commend you on your perseverance with what must be a challenging group of plants to engage with. Your good work with the Parasitic plants gives hope to the rest of us that someday may wish to follow in your wake. dvg
|
|
|
Post by lloyd on Jul 5, 2013 21:18:36 GMT -5
Thanks dvg. I'll keep trying.
|
|
|
Post by lloyd on Dec 23, 2014 22:19:06 GMT -5
I haven't given up on parasitic plants. I'm ordering some more Nuytsia floribunda seeds and some Exocarpus seeds from Australia. I have some Buttonia suberba seedlings growing but they aren't doing a lot. I suspect Grewia are not natural hosts and that Euphorbia are. May have to try switching host plants. I'm still having a really difficult time getting viable Tristerix seeds from Chile.
However a really nice guy in England sent me some Viscum minimum berries (for free!). They look viable. One even had a little haustrum when I put it on the host. Now I notice that that the haustrum is growing toward the host! Hopefully more good news to follow.
|
|
|
Post by Apoplast on Dec 24, 2014 1:42:03 GMT -5
Hi Lloyd - Nice score on the Viscum seeds! I am still trying to pin some down. It'll be interesting if you can get the Exocarpus going, there are some really interesting species in that group. Keep fighting the good fight! To paraphrase J. C. Raulston -- If you are not killing plants, you are not really stretching the frontiers of horticulture.
|
|
|
Post by lloyd on Dec 24, 2014 11:06:46 GMT -5
EXOCARPOS sparteus
This is the one I'm getting. It's a relatively small growing species that favours Acacias and I have an Australian acacia growing that should be big enough. If I ever get any viscum berries of my own, I'll offer them to anyone who wants to try.
I'm also trying to get some European Viscum seeds in the new year. I have a compact dwarf apple in the garage that will be the host.
|
|
|
Post by Apoplast on Dec 25, 2014 17:09:31 GMT -5
Hi Lloyd - Yes, E. sparteus seems like it would be a good choice, not least of all for its tasty, fleshy pedicels. I know the WA ecotype of that one stays fairly small, especially under hotter and drier conditions. Another good one might be Exocarpos odoratus. It's from a more moderate climate, and stays small even if you are babying the host. Though I must admit I am not entirely certain what the preferred host is. Good luck and if you can get anything to come up, please post photos.
|
|
|
Post by lloyd on Dec 26, 2014 22:54:17 GMT -5
A number of the Viscum minimum seeds are growing little haustra, some have already made contact with the host. It's really neat to see.
|
|
|
Post by hal on Dec 27, 2014 13:32:23 GMT -5
A number of the Viscum minimum seeds are growing little haustra, some have already made contact with the host. It's really neat to see. Sounds like the plot to Alien, Lloyd.
|
|
|
Post by lloyd on Dec 27, 2014 19:40:05 GMT -5
I'm being careful not to touch them. Perhaps I shouldn't stick my face too close either.
|
|
|
Post by bonfield on Dec 27, 2014 20:04:21 GMT -5
Where Lloyd's interest in parasitic plants will take him:
|
|
|
Post by lloyd on Dec 31, 2014 23:42:26 GMT -5
The mistletoe haustra are growing and some have already created a flattened disk on the host ready to penetrate the cuticle. One of the seeds had a adhesive failure and I had to apply a glue prosthesis (in other words, I glued the seed to the host). The berries have sticky viscin threads which anchor the seed to the host. Otherwise when the haustra tries to apply pressure to allow its tissue to penetrate the host the seed is pushed off and dies.
|
|
|
Post by lloyd on Mar 24, 2015 21:36:47 GMT -5
I just got a lot of Viscum album berries from England two days ago. It's going to be warmer tomorrow so it's planting time.
|
|
|
Post by lloyd on May 30, 2015 18:18:49 GMT -5
I think I planted the album seeds too late due to the rotten winter and none germinated. Maybe next year.
However my viscum seeds on my E. horrida took and are growing external shoots.
Parasitic success!
|
|
|
Post by lloyd on Jul 9, 2015 13:54:22 GMT -5
Viscum minimum successfully infested my big Euphorbia polygona "snowflake"!
Maybe berries soon?
Buttonia superba very slowly growing.
|
|
|
Post by dvg on Jul 9, 2015 15:38:01 GMT -5
Does the infestation show up well in photos?
Would be interesting to see some of your parasitic plants in action, slowing taking over their host plants.
dvg
|
|