Hibiscus: How are your hardy Hibiscuses this year?, 2 by Michael_Ronayne

Michael_Ronayne wrote:
My Hibiscus 'Kopper King' produced a bud mutation where three or possibly four buds fused to produce one flower with distorted proportions. The open flower is the size of a normal Kopper King bloom but that is where the similarities stop. I counted to over 15 petals and then gave up. The pistil fused into one stem about a half inch thick and there were so many stigmas that I couldn’t count them. In the picture of the partially opening bud you can see a Hibiscus Beetle (Althaeus hibisci) on the lip of a petal (lower left) which can’t believe its good fortune.

I pollinated the flower with its own pollen but it is unlikely that it will set seeds but you can never tell. The flower is not in a good position to consider stem cloning. This is one of the times when I wish I was doing tissue culture. For now I will continue to watch the pod to see if it sets seeds and be on the lookout for similar mutations on the same stem. The stem is unusual because it appears to be two stems which fused together.

Mike


This message was edited Jul 25, 2012 4:50 PM