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Logic isn't applying

jimscott

Tropical Fish Enthusiast
For the most part, whenever I sow viable seeds the bulk of the germination occurs within a week of one another. By the same token, when a certain species of plant begins flowering, most of the others of that species, under the same conditions, also flower at about the same time. However, a packet of D. brevifolia seeds I sowed last year, while germinating at about the same time, has recently sendt one flower scape up. It has been a couple weeks, from this colony of plants, and only one plant has been inclined to do so. Here's a pic of the colony and the actual scape is still in the camera.

IMG_0213.jpg
 
Wait, it has just germinated and is sending up a flower stalk? Im confused.
 
It would be interesting to harvest that lone stalk apart from the others that do it all together. Start a new generation of A (the early stalk) and B (the group stalks that will come later). Once they are at that level see if the seeds from group A follow the early pattern of A, or revert back to the regular pattern of B.

Nate
 
Wait, it has just germinated and is sending up a flower stalk? Im confused.

Since the colony grows together, they usually flower together. However, in this specific instance, only one of the colony members is flowering and none of the others. Precarious.
 
I've seen a photo of an orchid seedling flowering inside a flask. I guess if it had been a kid, it would have been one of those violin prodigies in kindergarten.

By the way, although the seeds of many plants will all germinate together, not all plants take that approach. It's a dangerous strategy in a marginal environment, such as a desert, because all the seeds might germinate after the same light rain and then everyone would die if it didn't rain again for months. So they have various ways of delaying and spacing out germination. Some seeds might germinate after each rain and those that happen to germinate when there are a few storms in succession can survive.

I've noticed a similar effect in many chile seeds, with seeds continuing to germinate for months. The more "domesticated" varieties are better behaved, germinating quickly and in unison, but a lot of traditional varieties are still germinating as fall arrives. Commercial growers don't like that, so many of the popular varieties have been selected to have uniform germination.
 
I 'spose that one plant could be the most stressed out of the bunch. I figure if you each gave them their own pot, they might flower at around the same time. I have a bunch of D. x tokaiensis that I sowed at the same time. They don't all have their own pot; they are rather bunched together, but once I increased their photoperiod, they all flowered at the same time.

-Ben
 
It could be the happiest plant in the colony! When that puppy produces seeds I'll be sowing them!
 
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