Re: HYB: TB: OK, I see the parts
- To: i*@egroups.com
- Subject: Re: HYB: TB: OK, I see the parts
- From: l* M*
- Date: Tue, 02 May 2000 09:23:50 -0400
>
> << I take it you pollinize from the FRONT of the bloom (that is,
> you don't reach DOWN through the falls, but between then?
> >>
The upright part of the flower are the standards, the hangy down (or on
more modern types, sticking out to the side) parts are the falls.
I've not seen how somebody who knows what they are doing applies the
pollen, but the way that I've found that works for me is to reach in
from the top, grasp the style arm between my thumb and forefinger, with
my thumb underneath the end of the style arm at the end of the style
arm. I can't figure out how to describe it, but I use my other fingers
on that hand to get the rest of the flower out of the way so I can
attempt to see what I'm doing. Then I kind of bend the style arm up
with my thumb (just a tiny bit). This tends to open up the stigmatic
lip a bit and makes it easier to daub on the pollen.
As for the glistening stigmatic lip - I used to think it was a figment
of hybridizers imagination or something that only happens on irises in
California and Oregon <g>. My poor irises are not growing under optimal
climatic conditions, & I think that affects the condition of the
stigma. Anyway, with bright sunshine and a 2 good pairs of reading
glasses worn at the same time, I can sometimes see it glisten. For me,
a better test is to rub the anther across the stigmatic lip - if the
pollen sticks, it musta been sticky! I can see the clumps of pollen on
the lip afterwards.
I don't have a high success rate of crosses, but I think that's probably
a good thing - otherwise I'd be buried in a ton of raggedy ugly little
seedlings.
Linda Mann east Tennessee USA
zone 6 or 7
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