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Does D. occidentalis x pulchella self-seed?

Apollonian

Apollonian

Hello all,
I bought a trio of this hybrid from D'Amato in 2005, and it grew like wildfire. It was irresistibly pretty, so I put it in a wide 14 inch pot and let the thing carpet it over a period of 7 years. It never really seemed to produce gemmae regularly or often. When it did, gemmae were easy to propagate and quick to start.
But plants didn't seem to erupt from gemmae production. I'm suspicious if some of these plants were born of seed. They flower constantly. I'm wondering if anyone else has experience with this apparently rare but amazingly vigorous hybrid.

Unfortunately, due to a savage aphid infestation, I only have one aphid-free plant left. Don't worry, they breed like gremlins.
 
Seeing how some of the D. pulchella hybrids spread I've suspected that they may fertile but I've never taken the time to examine the seed capsules.
 
Does it look like this?





D. pulchella x occidentalis
 
Almost, though the rosettes are less dense, making up for it in leaf size. Petioles do not narrow approaching the lamina. It's definitely labeled occidentalis x pulchella, just so you know. Flower color is identical, not sure about precise floral characteristics. I'll have a flower in about a week.
 
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I think the juxtaposition of the names is determined by which male and female parts were being used from the parent plants.
 
If it is a natural hybrid it is impossible to determine the seed and pollen donors except, perhaps, with ribosome RNA analysis. So either notation is assumed to be the same plant. The convention is to use the the first published pair naming order.
 
It is in fact the only occidentalis x pulchella that I've ever seen before or heard of. Was the first published pair pulchella x occidentalis? It's written, by D'Amato himself, as occidentalis x pulchella. I feel I'll stick with that, given his credentials. It seems a markedly different plant from any pulchella x occidentalis that I've seen.
 
LOL! I just give them the names they were given to me and hope that they are right.
 
  • #10
Sometimes that's all you can do!
 
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