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Seed fertility?

This is the first year I have ever had sarracenia flowers produce seed.
Generally speaking, if seeds were produced can one assume that they are fertile? Or can an unfertilized flower produce sterile seed? Sorry for such a dumb question.
I have collected several seed pods, all brown and looking like they are about to split open. There are several pods still on the plants, fat and bulging, but still a bit greenish or yellowish. I assume I should leave those alone until they turn brown. Yes?
 
You can generally assume that the seed is fertile. I've never seen an unpollinated flower produce seed. I've seen many that I thought were pollinated not produce seed at all. However I suppose seed can be produced that is infertile or weakly fertile if the plant was unhealthy or perhaps not quite mature.

You can collect the pods just as soon as they start turning brown. The seeds will continue to ripen "off the vine" as it were. If you wait too long the pods may split open and you can lose some seeds.
 
Infertle seed will be extremely tiny, like specks of dust the size of a period (Like this >.< size),
where-as fertilized seed will be larger, fuller, etc. (Like this >O< ...or larger!)
[Well, maybe like this size >o< I suppose, but not smaller.]
The pods may have a mix of both, and even pods with infertle seed only may get swelled up a bit,
although usually not nearly as large as those filled with all ripe seed.
When you open the pods, you WILL see the difference. Sarr seed is a decent size.
 
Thanks for the replies. Some of the pods are fat and bulgy, some are more shriveled looking. I'll see what's what when they split open I suppose.
 
Here is a picture of my seed from late 2010:
PB130006.jpg



The little black specs in the middle-back are the ones that are definitely infertile.
 
Oh, I see. Thanks for the photo, that helps.
A couple of the pods have split already, and so far I am seeing the fertile looking ones. :banana2:
 
Joossa KNOWS!..
a picture is worth a thousand words!
Right on ther money!
:water:
 
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