Crinum Asiaticum Seed

[CG100]

I recently bought some seed and had expected it to have produced shoots before it arrived, but not so.

The seed had obviously originally been roughly spherical, around an inch diameter, but the seed arrived as what look like large segments from an orange - maybe 3-4-5 per whole. As the segments are covered in the same seed-coat all over, the seeds appear to be whole, even though the few online pic's of Crinum seeds show whole, spherical seeds of varying sizes.

Is anyone familiar with the seed able to comment?

[Uli]

Hello.....

Sorry, but I cannot see your name....
Crinum seed can be a single large seed per flower but it can also form multiple seeds covered in a papery tunic. When it is fresh it may look like a single sphere but when the surrounding tunic dries it shows exactly what you describe. I would guess, without seeing a picture, that the seed is perfectly fine and should be sown straight away. If it looks shriveled I would give it an overnight soak (but not longer) in lukewarm water before sowing. It is surprising how much some shriveled seed can pump up this way. 

Bye for now 

Uli 

[CG100]

Hi Uli
Many thanks for the comment. The seed was sown the day that it arrived - no germination as yet, which is a surprise, although some have expanded. I may soak the ones that have not, as you suggest.
My name was mentioned before - Carl

[Uli]

Hello Carl,

Germination with these kind of seed is fast indeed. But not necessarily visible. Most of the time the first thing these seeds do is growing a root and a bulb, the leaf is the second step and comes later, in some species even a year later. (Not so late in Crinum) So be very  careful when lifting seed, you may damage a root.

Bye for now 

Uli 

[CG100]

I knew that Crinum were fast to germinate - hence my surprise when none had geminated before they arrived (last year I bought some Crossyne seed and they had all germintaed in the packet, before arrival).

I did check after my last post and one Crinum seed has a very small root. I have moved them to a heat pad set at 20C, which may be better, even though they are indoors so do not get cold.

Thanks again

[MarcR]

CG100,

Bottom heat may be counter-productive!.  You would do much better to maintain an ambient temperature at or near 20C. 

[CG100]

Thanks Marc - bottom heat here is generally around 20C anyway. In an enclosed space, this means close to 20C air temperature.

(We are a hardy lot here in the UK - unless we are relaxing at home, vegging-out, during the day, household temp's will drop several degrees under that during the day. Even more so with current energy prices      )