Hi Angelo, Yes I think you have hit on the right explanation. I've also had exactly the same results last summer- very little seed set on C. pedunculatum, C. flaccidum, and none on C. luteolum or C. moorei. Almost all the Crinum seed that was set late in the flowering season also failed to germinate during Autumn, winter and Spring. We have experienced the worst drought for 150 years on the east coast of Australia, and while no species Crinums were very troubled by the dry conditions they were certainly reluctant to set seed and where seed that was obtained it proved reluctant to germinate - despite irrigating the Crinum garden weekly. However, the good news that I can now report is that most of the recalictrant Crinum seeds survived are now germinating, 7 or 8 months after seed set. Last January I crossed a couple of C. abyssinicum and later in April harvested 4 seeds which was quite a lengthy seed development period. Within a month of harvest three of the smaller seeds changed colour and rotted away. The largest of these seeds did nothing for 7 months sitting on the surface of the moist sandy potting mix. However, it too has developed a 3 cm radicle in the past week - perhaps its no coincidence that finally substantial rain is falling in the Sydney region and the atmosphere has been humid for the past two weeks! Cheers Jim Lykos Blue Mountains Australia Zone 9b/10 Angelo Porcelli wrote: >While we are still on this topic, can anyone explain why some years I get lots of seeds on Crinum asiaticum (so many to bent the stalks to the ground) and moorei doing absolutely, while in the last two years I have got neither a single seeds, even if hand pollinated all the flowers several times? I suspect that it's a question of moisture, as I remember years ago I had seeds from each flower, because the summer was unusually rainy. > >Angelo Porcelli >Italy zone 9b >_______________________________________________ >pbs mailing list >pbs@lists.ibiblio.org >http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > > >