FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

jaester wrote:Are the flowers fertile and will I be able to pollinate them and ultimately get viable seeds by doing so?

Stratofortress wrote:Korean Melody Shark' is a sterile mutant -- after growing the cultivar and finally seeing its flower, we discovered that the pistil and stamen do not reach maturity.

I saw my first Korean Melody Shark flower the other day. It occurred in vitro. It certainly looked fully formed to me. I haven't yet had one flower in vivo (only been growing it since about the time we started offering it in the store last year), but I'll bet that it's at least moderately fertile like Cupped Trap. Often the stigma is deformed and unable to be successfully fertilized, but occasionally it will form well enough to get some seed.

jaester wrote:2. If you have a KMS, is yours developing a stalk as well?

None of the ones I have in my greenhouse are growing flower stalks just yet, but only a few of my plants are. It's still very cool here at night. My plants don't usually start flowering until mid to late March, so I expect to see a few more flower stalks showing themselves over the next few weeks.

Stratofortress wrote:While on the topic of viable seed, as far as red clones go, I believe I read that Holland Red will actually produce plants with the cultivar's characteristics from its' own flowers.

True or False?

Somewhat true. Both the Holland Red and Red Burgundy clones say in their ICPS registration that they may be propagated via seed. However, any plant produced sexually will not be genetically identical to the parent plant. But you may get one that fits the cultivar description. And since the Red Burgundy and Holland Red cultivar description allow for them to be propagated via seed or vegetatively, it is possible to produce them via seed.

But not all of the seedlings (in fact, probably the minority of them) will have the same characteristics as the parent plant.

Red-leafed and dente-like teeth both seem to be fairly readily inherited, as does large trap size.