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pleurothallid-l - [pleurothallid-l] Masdevallia pollinia - then to pollination and seed

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  • From: Ron Maunder <pondeeza@enternet.co.nz>
  • To: pleurothallid-l@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [pleurothallid-l] Masdevallia pollinia - then to pollination and seed
  • Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2003 03:41:53 +1300

We use another method of pollen storage but it does the same job. Like Marc I have never tried to hold pollen more than a few months. I would think that the pollen would dry out fairly soon and lose viability because it is so tiny.

Here's a bit more method about removal and pollination etc for those who are newbies. If the flower has a deep sepaline tube and you can't reach the pollen cap with a tooth pick or sharpened match stick, then carefully split the caudae back to reveal the petals, lip and stigma. Tear the caudae off carefully and discard. It often helps to remove the lip too by pushing it sideways with the stick.

Hold the plant tilted over a black/dark piece of cloth and with a wetted stick (saliva will do!) carefully lift the cap off. Its much easier to find the tiny cap on a dark background if you lose it and its inclined to bounce if it drops onto a hard surface! The pollen can be squeezed out of the cap with the tooth pick. Careful, because it can jump! The yellow pollen mass can be parted to give you two "flakes" if its in short supply and you want to make several crosses.

Going further to make a cross - it helps to remove the pollen and cap from the tip of the stigma of the flower to be pollinated first so it doesn't get in the way during the pollination process. Only one piece or flake of pollen is required to effect pollination. Use a damp stick to place the pollen "in" the stigmatic cavity. The seed capsule takes 3-5 months to split or mature in my experience.

The "pod" opens on the underside like bomb doors so always watch that side for a lightening or a transparency of the green colour. It does not (in my experience) split into three parts like any other orchid such as cymbidium, cattleya or stanhopea. The fresh seed can be dried for a couple of days then stored in a similar way to the pollen until sown.

Thats just the way we do it. Marc no doubt has another way.

I'd be interested to hear from you Marc sometime as to who your famous orchid breeder was! I'll guess it was Ben, seeing you are from the east?

Cheers,

Ron Maunder, New Zealand



  • [pleurothallid-l] Masdevallia pollinia - then to pollination and seed, Ron Maunder, 11/25/2003

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