Hi Donna,

How long ago did you pollinate them? Maybe as the seeds develop the pods will swell some more? Have you tried the reciprocal cross with papilio as the pod parent? Snoopy minds want to know :-))))

Warm Regards,

Fred

i would think it looks promising...

I am pessimistic. My experience: "They are trying so hard, but they will start to shrivel after less than 3 weeks after pollination." On the last occasion I tried to pollinate a TET from H.papilio I obtained 8 seed pods on my TET "Under The Ladder" which would have been a major coup, had I been succcessful.

I have a "feeling" that Gervase is not a Tet as my papilio accepted it's pollen and produced viable seeds.

If so then congratulations, Maria. How many viable-looking(!) seeds per seed pod did you obtain and what was the approximate rate of germination?

That's good to know and so I will continue to hope....☺☺

Not a lot of seeds as most of them had tan spots. Around 8 of the seeds germinated. I wouldn't know the % of germination as I also floated some of the seeds with tan dots that looked kinda ok.

Donna

I think a flower from that cross would be a beauty. I tried it 2 years in a row with no success. I hope you have better luck with it. Keep us updated on the progress.

Louana

Hi Donna))

I think we have to wait 21 days and it will be clear)) usually this time is critical. But I crossed fingers for you!

Best Regards,

Elena.

Well, I guess I should report that both pods failed. Well on to the next. For some reason this season I haven't had one success yet!! ☻☻Donna

Oh bummer :-(

Darn :( Oh well spring will be here soon with lots and lots of possibilities! - J

Bummer! Don't you have a fertile papilio donna? Do the reverse cross if you do. Sometimes, there are plants that just refuse to make seeds no matter what but it's pollens are accepted by "some". Jungle Lady is one!

I just checked on the pictures of resulting seedlings having Gervase as a parent. The ones I saw had Gervase as pollen parent and none of them inherited the splash like flower colors of Gervase. I ain't no botanist but I have a feeling that gervase is like a chimera with flower color/pattern not being able to be reproduced through seeds? What do ya'll think?

Well I just checked some of my infos and I did asked an expert on variegated plants about Gervase and he did say that it is a chimera.

Donna,

I'm sorry to hear that. I guess gervase isn't a good mother. I haven't had much success crossing this year either. I only been working with new bulbs. So far I got 3 crosses with Luna as the pod parent that have sprouted. It crossed with apple blossom, exotica, and dancing queen. I had to many failures to count.

Louana

Donna, if you want to try the reverse crossing, you can send me some gervase pollen, I have 3 flower stems of fertile papilio that will blossom soon and I have not planned anything with, if it works, I will send you back the seeds ☻

OK!!!☺☺☺Sending it this afternoon...

forward to receiving, I hope it will work, I love these transatlantic pollination!

I don't know much about hippeastrum chimeras, and don't even know if they exist. From what little I know of this, seeds from a chimera would probably not be chimeras themselves. I'm told that african violet chimeras can be reproduced only from stem cuttings.

Does anyone here know about this?

--Rick

What a pity, Donna! I'm really sorry for you and your Gervase.

I don't know if that helps to tell the ploidy but I have some Exotica x Gervase seedlings from last year growing...

Anja

Anja,

I have found Exotica to be a very good seed parent as well as her pollen being viable on many others. Exotica x Gervase sounds like a lovely combination and I hope they do well for you and I can't wait to see them bloom for you!!

I have some Exotica x Santos, Exotica x Mocca and a few Exotica x papilios growing around here somewhere, all seedlings of course. And... I haven't given up completely on getting something to take with Gervase's pollen. I'll keep trying and something might click.

To tell you the truth, I try crosses that I know aren't compatible in hopes of getting just a few seeds. Two years ago I had great success with seeds on Santos by this and that and one pod x Chico yielded about 7+ seeds of which only two germinated and the most vigorous with striped leaves! I tried Santos x Chico the next year on several flowers and nothing took so I am cherishing that one seedling that still looks good.

I have a couple of cybisters about to bloom and I'm going to try one flower on each with some of Gervase's pollen, I might get lucky!!

Donna☺☺

I crossed an H. Aulicum with H. Moscow, which is that large flat white with a green throat. Nothing else was in bloom and pollen was removed from Aulicum so it's not a self. Pod is looking pretty fat. Will be interesting to see what seeds look like!

That sounds like a great cross with Moscow being like a blank canvas for aulicum to spread her genes around. Hope the seeds look good....Donna☺☺

I am being hopeful here too! I got a 2 week old seedpod of Flamenco Queen X Jungle Lady. 3 more weeks of being hopeful! Ha!

Fingers crossed!!!☺☺

Donna,

that sounds as if you're expecting some very special blooms in the future! I'm especially looking forward to see your Exotica x Papilios bloom! I tried the reverse cross last year but it didn't work. And of course all of your Santos crosses! I would love to have a hippie with variegated leaves but I couldn't find Santos here in Europe. I read that it needs higher temperatures than other hippies and my flat is rather cold in winter so I did not dare to spend too much money on importing one.

And yes, Gervase is a real beauty and if mine flowers this year I will as well try to cross it with everything I have, although it seems to have rather dominant red genes. Good luck with all your interesting crossing plans!

Right now I'm hopeful with a 10 day old seedpod of my big white not Misty x Papilio!

Anja

Anja,

Unfortunately, I don't think Santos is available any more. It had been out of circulation for the longest time and Royal Colors brought it back last year (was it just last year?) for one season. I only bought one bulb and am wishing I had bought two!!

I have a bud just poking out of my Santos for the 3rd time since I've had mine and when I do my pollinating, I would be happy to send you some seeds if I get lucky and if you would like some. Santos is quite easy to pollinate with, she produces good seeds and her pollen is viable on most others!

I am growing several crosses with Santos in the mix and a good percentage of the seedlings have striped leaves!

This is a cross of Santos x Autumn Pink Lady a reticulatum hybrid from Komoriya. I don't have any more pollen from Autumn Pink Lady or I would try this cross again.

Donna☺☺

Hi Donna,

Your Santos hybrids look absolutely beautiful. I have been searching for Santos pollen, bulbs or anything for a long time but no luck. I currently have a couple of (teeny, tiny, itty bitty) seedlings with Santos in it's background but as of yet...no visible stripes. If you or anyone has some spare Santos pollen, I'll gladly purchase some from you and share any seeds that I happen to get.

Warm Regards,

Fred

Fred,

I have some papilio x Santos bulbs that I can spare. They have the stripe

Maida

Fred,

I'll be more than happy to send you some Santos pollen but as you can see from the picture I just took, it's gonna be a while. But, I could send you some Santos pollen that was frozen from last season. I can't attest to its strength but if you've got something you want to use it on now, you could try it, otherwise I'll send you some of the fresh stuff.

Either way, email me with your correct mailing address and I'll get it in the mail tomorrow. Should reach you by Saturday!! I don't want anything in return, when I give seeds away, I never want any trades. Let me know and I'll get it out from the freezer...Donna☺☺

I

Hi Maida,

Oh my goodness...thank you :-)))) That would be wonderful!!!!!!

Warm Regards and Thanks,

Fred

Donna,

your seedlings look nice and happy! How old are they? Are they from your first Santos crosses in 2014? Do you still have all those seedlings? Then you might have a big Santos & familiy flower party next season... I'm looking forward to see the pictures :-)

I just read your old posts about Santos and saw your beautiful and almost mouthwatering pictures. Of course I would love to get some seeds from you with Santos genes in them if you have some to share, because now I'm really in love with Santos :-) And I'm sure you will find nice partners for this beauty! Until now I wasn't a succesful bee this season so I can't offer you anything right now. There's only the White x Papilio seedpod which still may fail. But there are more flowers to come (Emerald, Santiago, Rebecca, Estella and others)...

Anja

Fred,

I got your email and I'll go look right now and get the pollen out possibly this afternoon. I'll start with the frozen and some fresh when it comes!☺☺Donna

Anja,

Yes, those those are the seedlings as of this week when I took the picture!! And, they are from the first crossing in 2014. They've still got a long way to go, I don't have the knack of getting seedlings to grow fast around here. Currently they are under lights but they spent last summer in a communal pot out side.

I'm not doing too well playing bee either this season but I've got lots more to try in the next few months. I don't want or need anything in return but thanks for the offer.☺

Donna☺☺

Donna,

My vittatum, picotee and the no ID white I got when I ordered Bogota have all accepted gervase pollen. I tried it on a lot of bulbs and had lots of failures. I got my fingers crossed for you that you find something to accept gervase pollen. Keep us up to date on what you try so I'll know when mine blooms again in spring. Your Santos crosses look great. I love the stripe on the leaves. I wish I could my hands on a Santos!! I hope someone will offer it for sale again soon.

Louana

SO , Donna , maybe I will have seeds to send to you : I tried your gervase pollen , on 2 strains of papilio , on 2 flower stalk /strain.

the first one pne didn.t appreciate a lot :

But the for second strain maybe I can hope something ?

Oooh, Oooh, I'm keeping my fingers crossed!! Two are oval and the other two round... You've just got that magic touch!!

Donna☺☺

Very exciting! Keep us posted on the progress!

Beatrice, beautiful box! I Keep fingers crossed!

Best wishes,

Elena.

This looks quite good! Fingers crossed! Please keep us posted! Where does this Papilio strain come from?

Anja

I forgot the date of pollination, of course, so I do not know if the course of the 21 days is spent.

Anja, the first clone of Papilio, the one who did not like the pollen is of unknown origin, I have for a long time, it is self-fertile.

The second clone, is the classic clone from holland , Royal Colors.