Very teensy seeds

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bluespiral (Zone 7a) Dec 14, 2006

I harvested 10 seeds from Ipomoea purpurea 'Double Blackie' this fall. 5 were bagged and 5 were open pollinated. They are so minute - less than 1/16" - but seem well formed. The outer seed coat is incomplete on one of them, and the cotyledon inside seems developed. Is there anything in particular that anyone might know about germinating such tiny seeds that they think would be helpful for me to know?

Last spring, I received a bonus from The Fragrant Path of 36 seeds of 'Double Blackie' which has characteristics of a double, feathered, dark purple I. purpurea (Looks most similar to rh3708's Indigo Feathers in PlantFiles under Feathered Purple http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/72362/index.html ).

I'm guessing this strain is not stable, because:

1) Since Mr. Rasmussen (of TFP) said this vine appears spontaneously from time to time in the vicinity of a single purple I. purpurea and an unnamed double "red" I. purpurea and

2) only 1 out of the 36 seeds he sent me as a bonus (7 germinated) had the double, feathered characteristics of a dark purple I. purpurea.

I'll probably be looking for seed from a more stable strain after New Year's, but - still - to obtain another seedling with these characteristics in the next generation from these seeds would be wonderful.

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RON_CONVOLVULACEAE Netcong, NJ(Zone 5b) Dec 14, 2006

bluespiral - The smallest seeds often produce the most interesting colors...the baggie sprout method might work out good for the small seeds > this way you wouldn't have to submerge the seeds underneath any planting medium...

The hige gene can skip generations,but it sounds like the ones from the Rasmussen fellow may be more unstable than usual...if the higes outcross with regular non-split petal I.purpurea > then the split gene is going to become more mixed in with genes for non-splitting...

TTY,...

Ron

Post #2997782
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bluespiral (Zone 7a) Dec 15, 2006

Hmmm...I see. So the ones I bagged from the bees will have higher chances of yielding Double Blackie again. I'll let y'all know how they turn out. Thank you.

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