Ipomoea lacunosa

These are the cotyledons of seeds from a plant identified as I. lacunosa last year. I see that there are no pictures in the PlantFiles showing cotyledons for this plant. Are these typical?

Arlan

I just noticed that the cots on this appear to have a star pattern like some mg petals do! Is that just happenstance or significant?

X

Arlan - the cotyledons you have posted above look consistent for Ipomoea lacunosa...

Are they from seeds that are shaped like the first 2 photos you posted to the jumping MG seed thread here
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/667996/
as the first 2 photos show seeds shapes that are very distinctively Ipomoea lacunosa,while the 3rd photo shows seeds typical of Ipomoea cordatotriloba...

X - Are you seeing a star formed by the aggregate of the 4 cot lobes(?)...or are you mainly referring the the roughly 'spear' shape visibly formed between the 2 main central veins on the cotyledon lobes...(?)...

TTY,...

Ron

The spear shapes that I outlined in the picture on the one side which is repeated on the other. What made it jump out at me is there is not distinctive veining inside the spear.

X

This message was edited Mar 26, 2007 8:27 AM

Ron -

The seeds did in fact come from the seeds like the ones you referenced and from the wild plant you identified for me last year from a series of pictures like this one. http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=2687992
Thanks for the confirmation of the seedling.

X - I never noticed that area between major veins with less pronounced or missing cross veining. It seems to be present on this JMG colyledon as well.

Hmm .. I went back and looked at others. Some have veining and others don't. Here are some without the veins. I wonder if it's possible if the cotyledons can give an indication of what the flower will look like via the margins and veining.

X

I don't know about foretelling the look of a flower, but some genetic traits will produce unique shapes and textures to the cotyledons.

The retracted gene, one of the major components in the large flowered JMGs, causes the flower to be larger in diameter and also often to have more than the five rays of a normal flower. It also causes the cotyledons to have more rounded lobes as opposed to the more pointed lobes of the normal or wild type JMG. Most of the large flowered JMGs will have these rounded cotyledons.

See how contorted the cotyledons become when the maple willow gene is expressed: http://davesgarden.com/journal/j/si/118291/


Arlan

Xeramtheum - as per Arlans comments ditto...

Arlan, I'd be interested in the composition of your soil. I am still experimenting cocos fibre, but there is zero nutrients in it.

Martin

Martin,

The soil mixture I use to start seeds is a commercially available soiless mix called Metro mix 300. It consists of: 30-40% horticultural grade Vermiculite, composted pine bark, horicultural grade vermiculite, bark ash, dolomitic limestone (for pH adjustment) and a wetting agent.

I do not add fertilizer, nor do I fertilize the seedlings as they are remain vigorous through planting time. I have on occasion inadvertently left plants in the 16 oz cups I use for containers and they have bloomed.....but obviously not reached full plant size potential.

I have no disease problems with this mix. Hope this helps! - Arlan

Thanks Arlan for the information, I really appreciate your comments. I wondered if Sand should go into the mix...

I am covering the surface with sand to combat fungus gnats, which seems to work and the MGs don't mind it eather...


Martin

What do you mean by wetting agent, Arlan?


Martin

Hey Martin!

I would imagine sand would be just fine in a starting mix. The commercial company may have omitted sand to keep the shipping cost down!?

Generally, when I read "wetting agent", I think of a surfactant that breaks the surface tension of water, allowing water to be absorbed quickly (or quicker!) if the medium dries out. You know how hard it is to get peat moss wet again if it really gets dried out......the wetting agents would assist one in getting it wet again.

I luckily have not had to deal with fungus gnats, maybe because I don't do much growing indoors. - Arlan