Greetings Ran
Just out of curiosity do you know what the specific epithet refers to, it
is my understanding that "clausa" loosly translated means "closed" I would
have assumed that the species H. clausa is capable of sexual propagation and
would therfore need to have flowers that open to allow for pollination and
this would seem to be a contradiction.
Thanks
Mark
I will try to give you a reasoned answer here. It has also been one I
have wondered about in the past. Ben in answer, says that it is
sterile. He is basing that , no doubt on findings from tests of plants
in cultivation, on sites, that may not in any way duplicate where they grow in
the wild. It will not come as news to him that I see a lot of room for
error in this kind of conclusion, when it is drawn by that kind of testing (
if in fact that is the case) I would love to have a chance to see some
"naturally growing" plants , at the right time. Here is what I have
done, and it do's support Ben's thinking. I have "opened" blooms on
clausa var. clausa, and found "usable" pollen , on several occasions. I
carefully used that on several midseason varieties. I have one pod this year
on the Blue Angle crosses. Have not grown the seed yet, but I must say,
that even if it is viable, it will be some time before I am sure it is
actually my cross , that "did the trick" I don't protect my crosses very
well. I have twice over the years set a very few pods on clausa ,(again
by forcing the blooms open) but they produced no viable seed.
Thanks
Ran
