Now that’s two M word articles in one edition of the mag. I must be mellowing!

Doug brings us the final instalment of snips from the world of seed…

41. The hardest and heaviest seeds of 2005 are Entida gigas, the West Indian Sea Bean, so called because it’s frequently found washed up on western Scottish beaches, brought over in the Gulf Stream. The 2005 seeds weigh 25 to 30 grams each. (Ed: that’s about an ounce.) Last year from a different population they were weighing in at 35 to 40 grams each. The trees live in secluded valleys in the Dominican Republic and beans produced are 1.8 metres long. Seeds are like shiny hard mahogany tablets, and scarification is difficult.

42. In 2004 in Denmark the most popular species of seeds were Turbinicarpus boolianus followed by Euphorbia bupleurifolia. In 2003 the scene was a little different, Lophophora echinata topped the poll and its congener Lophophora frici was next best.

43. Letter from a lady. ‘Dear Doug, Thank you for sending me your list, please find my order enclosed. For replacement of out of stock items, please thrill me’.

44. In the American Southwest around the Tucson area it is not very practical to use English summer bedding plants in garden displays. They would need to be watered three or four times a day, which is a bit impractical in a desert environment where water is precious. So, around banks, shopping malls and car parks you will find beds and small plots set out with larger succulents and an assortment of cacti. These include Agave, Yucca and Dasylirion, a host of Opuntia bushes, Hesperaloe and Ferocactus. The Opuntia flower in April and May followed by Saguaro and then Ferocactus. Yucca spikes can be seen all summer. The days here in spring and summer are a bit shorter than ours and it gets dark quickly. If there is no moon and you are walking it is essential to look where you are going and not fall onto anything.

45. In open grassy spaces in central New Mexico, around Albuquerque and Belen can be found a small ground-hugging spiny cactus, Corynopuntia clavata. This has 1” long egg shaped joints, with sharp dagger-like spination. The species resembles a Tephrocactus which it is not. It cultivates well and grows slowly, producing yellow flowers and eventually very spiny yellow seed berries. With a little difficulty and some care these can be removed from the plant with a pair of long nosed pliers. After drying out, the spiny berries can with some difficulty be opened and seeds removed. These will germinate erratically but somewhat more readily than Tephrocactus. Ask Tony Parker who raised little plants from these in the 1970’s

46. The seed cycle of the Saguaro, Carnegiea gigantea is quite unique and in keeping with its environment. This is a large and tall growing item which dominates much of the landscape in suitable areas of central and south Arizona. There are colonies further south too in Mexico, but these plants tend to be smaller in dimension due to the warmer and drier climate there. This cactus proliferates around the Saguaro National Monument south of Tucson. The clusters of white flowers of this giant begin to open in the last days of April and well on into May in succession. At this time a host of pollinators appear which includes bats, insects, small mammals and birds. The seed berries grow on and eventually ripen at the end of summer, and then split and open wide to reveal the seeds in a bright red pulp looking from below like red flowers. These are raided by predators of all kinds and eventually fall to the ground in autumn, quickly followed by the autumn rains, which often cause flash floods with dried river beds being suddenly filled with flood water. This washes the seeds all over the desert floor, where they germinate in shade under stones, shrubs and bushes and in rock crevices in shade. Seeds are always available and germinate well. Seedlings are rather slow growing (a 1 metre plant is likely to be 30 years old). In habitat, most Saguaros live for about 180 years and continue growing all of their life until their large size causes them to be blown to the ground. These plants thrive best in their range, plants I have seen at Prescott planted in a park, were too far north of their habitat and were dying.

47. I am told by friends visiting Sucre in Bolivia that in November 2004, seed collecting was not very successful. Many plants were still in flower, and some had not been visited by pollinators. The plants included Sulcorebutia, Lobivia and Parodia.

48. Most plants of Cactaceae require to be pollinated by another of the same species of a different clone to successfully complete fertilisation of the flowers. Cuttings taken from a parent plant will always be the same clone although different plants in different pots. A good plant to start pollination practice with is Rebutia, providing you have two clones. Berries will be produced at ground level and eventually dry off and split open. If you do not collect the seeds, they will be spread around the plant base when watering and will germinate there.

49. Euphorbia seeds are never very plentiful. This is because the capsules are tripartite and collecting seeds from explosive capsules is time consuming and labour intensive. And of course, male plants do not yield seeds. To collect seeds from exploding female plants of Euphorbia obesa, lay muslin over the seeding area or place the whole plant in a box with a clear plastic lid and wait for results.

50. Most Stapeliads, like Orchids have a complicated pollination system. However, a few Stapelia with big smelly five petalled flowers may well be visited by local blowflies in cultivation and even have eggs in batches laid within the flower. With luck green seed horns will be produced and gradually ripen a great number of windborne seeds complete with parachute ready to float off into the blue. Collect the seeds up before they disappear, and remove the parachute part. Most Stapeliads are of quick and easy germination and grow on well, Hoodia and Trichocaulon doing well in a warmer environment.

FOR A FINALE.

SEEDS FOR FREE AT THE SUPERMARKET

Last time we were in Arizona we were staying near to the local supermarket. Outside in beds in the pavement were three feet tall plants of Ferocactus acanthodes var. lecontei. Each day a few more berries in rings around the top of the plant changed colour and ripened. We occasionally took a few off, and opening with a penknife revealed 300 to 500 or so dry ripe seeds. This is April. Plants begin flowering at the height of summer and berries mature the following spring.

Doug