Hi Paul, I would have offered you some pollen, but I don't think mine are going to bloom this year. We had the weirdest spring I've ever experienced here in the last 15 years. I think the Paramongaias didn't like it one bit and so are boycotting this year's blooming season. From now on, I'm going to save some in the freezer just for cases like yours. (I suspect Doug grows his in a protected/inside environment. Mine do just fine outside (except when the weather falls too far outside the norm). If you have any spare pollen after everyone else's requests, I'd like to get some too. The one thing I've never been able to do is get seeds set and I suspect that mine all originate from the same clone as well even though I did get them from two different sources, both here in So. Calif. Hope all is well with you and your family, and that your workload allows you to relax every once in a while. --Lee On May 19, 2006, at 1:32 PM, Dr Paul Chapman wrote: > Dear All, > > Although I have been a member of this list almost since the beginning, > most > of you have probably never heard of me. Unfortunately my workload is > such > that, though I try to read all of the postings, sometimes it is several > months after they were sent (I currently have 646 to read!). > > However, something is about to happen that I must report, and ask for > your > assistance. My Paramongaia weberbauerii is about to flower. Living > in the > UK, I grow it on a winter dormant cycle - it spends the British winter > dormant in the clothes cupboard, simulating the Peruvian summer, and > the > British summer growing in my greenhouse, simulating the Peruvian > winter! > > I was given the bulb on New Year's Day 2001 by Harry Hay, and it has > flowered once before, either 3 or 4 years ago, I cannot remember. It > is an > offset from the clone from which Paramongaia was originally described, > I > believe in Curtis's Botanical Magazine. > > When it flowered previously, I tried to self-pollinate it, but no > seeds were > set. I suspect it is self incompatible. Does anyone have any pollen > of > Paramongaia from a different clone, that might enable my plant to > produce > seeds? I would of course share any seeds produced with the pollen > donor. > > If there is no-one with Paramongaia pollen, I would be happy to try > pollen > from Pamianthe, its nearest relative - who knows what might result? > > There is no problem in sending pollen to the UK, and I expect the > flower to > open in 5 - 7 days' time. If anyone is able to help, please reply > off-list. > > Many thanks, > > Paul > > Dr Paul Chapman, Wallington, Surrey, UK > South London commuter belt suburbia - zone 9a, where we have had more > rain > in the last 2 weeks than we had in the previous 6 months. > mailto:cyrtanthus@blueyonder.co.uk > > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php >