Since I mentioned Bowiea in a recent post...what's the deal with Bowiea and selfing? I have had Bowiea "nana" for many years and it selfs easily and prolifically - I find myself discarding large amounts of harvested seed, in fact. I assume "nana", which I obtained from Grigsby's (well, a nursery that obtained it from Grigsby's) is what used to be called B. kilimandscharica - it certainly matches the few photos I can find of that plant and is obviously distinct from the "typical" horticultural form (the familiar bloated monster with its wispy vine). But said "bloated monster" seemingly will not self. I've even tried one of Steve Hammer's mesemb tricks, applying pollen on consecutive days, to no avail. I often get fruit, but they yellow and wither along with the vine at the end of the season, containing no viable seed. OTOH, I see seed offered for sale with some regularity, particularly from European sellers. I recall academic references to B. volubilis showing frequent irregularities during meiosis, and some websites mentioning the plant doesn't set seed often. What's your experience with the "typical" B. volubilis - the type with potentially fist-sized bulbs and finer-branched pendant inflorescences, whose bulbs tend to stay at the surface of the soil - as far as seed production goes? Thanks and regards, Dave _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/… Unsubscribe: <mailto:pbs-unsubscribe@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net>