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Post by byblisera on Oct 5, 2014 18:47:31 GMT -5
As our weather starts to cool down the winter-growing drosera season is just beginning. The Northern Hemisphere plants are waking up and starting to send up stolons and early flower stalks. Last week I was cleaning up my CP growing area outdoors and I noticed activity in one of the pots. In utter astonishment I realized my Drosera zonaria giant was producing an inflorescence, something extremely rare for this species! I grabbed my camera, put on a macro lens, and took some pictures. September 29th- September 29th October 5th October5th I have discovered firsthand that D. zonaria develops its floral parts well before vegatative growth as do other flat rosetted species of tuberous drosera. As to why this particular plant has chosen to flower for me it remains a mystery. Just thought I would share this rare event with my fellow growers out there!
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Post by ng on Oct 5, 2014 19:00:59 GMT -5
Awesome, I haven't see this species before. Thanks for sharing!
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Post by lloyd on Oct 5, 2014 19:17:32 GMT -5
Amazing success with tuberous dews. I'll have to keep trying.
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Post by LAKJP on Oct 5, 2014 20:26:54 GMT -5
I've never seen a species behaving like this one... How unusual!
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Post by Maiden on Oct 5, 2014 20:38:45 GMT -5
Wow very nice! Its the first time i heard about that drosera specie
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Post by Avery on Oct 5, 2014 20:52:42 GMT -5
Very nicely done. Such a cool species also.
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Post by canuk1w1 on Oct 5, 2014 21:35:01 GMT -5
Good on ya mate - I'm terrified of these.
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Post by nwflytrap on Oct 15, 2014 22:04:44 GMT -5
That looks so strange to see just a flower stalk coming out of the ground. Congrats!
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Post by paulkoop on Oct 16, 2014 0:07:51 GMT -5
Its my next thing tuberous drosera ..got some seed off ebay. But i got them late ...after reading up they wanted a hot strat togerminate ...
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Post by dvg on Oct 16, 2014 13:33:06 GMT -5
Wow that is special. Great photos as well there Byblisera. Were you able to self pollinate those flowers with a small paintbrush or other pollinating tool? If you did, here's hoping that you were able to get good seed set with your flowers and that the seeds are very viable. dvg
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Post by byblisera on Oct 17, 2014 22:36:08 GMT -5
Still no sign of any vegetative growth yet. I did use a watercolor brush and selfed the flowers when they were open but I doubt this species can be selfed. Has anyone done research into why some species that very rarely flower do so? I wonder what the trigger is.
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Post by dvg on Oct 18, 2014 15:53:00 GMT -5
Wonder if the seeds need any special conditions or a stratification to help them along their sprouting route.
I'm guessing these plants have become very proficient at propagating themselves by way of tuberous offsets.
They probably flower once in a while in order to reproduce variable genetic stock, just in case the environment changes enough that another strain of this same species, might fare better in a slightly or noticeably altered environment.
The flowering must come at a significant cost to this plant, such that it might only flower when it is very healthy with enough strength in reserve to even attempt the risk of making flowers.
So flowering might be attempted once a tuber is large enough, with the necessary maturity to flower, and flowering could be induced by a change in environmental conditions.
Try experimenting by changing up the photoperiod and/or the temperature highs and lows for this plant and maybe you'll help trigger more flowering.
Do you recall any changes in culture that your plant recently received that varied from years past?
That's where I would start.
dvg
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Post by lloyd on Oct 18, 2014 18:49:58 GMT -5
Fire might be a factor. A lot of South African orchids will only flower after a fire. The ICPS has an article about Cephalotus life cycle being regulated by fires.
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Post by amanitovirosa on Oct 18, 2014 22:22:26 GMT -5
...Congrats!!!, good for you!!! It's too bad that the flower is kind of ordinary whereas the fact that it is actually flowering is not ordinary at all. Don't wanna rain on your parade though. Cheers!
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Post by Apoplast on Dec 18, 2014 21:23:22 GMT -5
Hi Byblisera - Ah, you beat me to it! I've not gotten mine to flower yet. Nice work! Sorry I missed this (I've missed a bit recently). That inflorescence is fantastic, and I am wildly jealous!
Allen told me he thinks that D. zonaria is like a few other tuberous species and is induced to flower by brushfires. The signal of brushfire for many underground species is ethylene. So with some species if you store them dormant with a rotting apple - being careful to to let the liquid wet the soil, or a banana peel, you can induce a "there has been a fire" response. I've been told sometimes this can accidentally occur, and you'll get errant flowers. I don't know that this explains your flowering, but perhaps?
Either way, it's a great accomplishment with this species, and I know you must rightly be proud. It's been too long, I should get in touch with you.
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