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Preparing Hydnophytinae seeds for shipping or longer transport


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I was frequently asked how best to prepare seeds for shipping them to other growers.

That's how I do it:

 

1.) Harvest the berries. Do not wait too long, in some Myrmecodia species the seeds die in the berries if not harvested. Hydnophytum seems to be less critical. If in doubt, just collect the berries as soon as they show their characteristic color. The seeds should still be just pale brown.

 

2.) Remove the seeds from the berry. You may just gently squeeze the fruit between two fingers. The seeds will pop out at the lower end of the fruit.

 

3.) Clean the seeds! This is very important!!! Otherwise the remaining sugar will be a perfect substrate for all kinds of fungi and bacteria. I use a simple metal tea stainer such as this to do it. Just move the seeds around and gently rub them against the mesh with your finger under running tap water for a few minutes.

 

4.) Put the seeds onto a few layers of damp tissue paper or a tissue-handkerchief. 

 

5.) Fold the tissue and put the damp packet into a small Zip-Loc bag.

 

6.) Store the whole in the dark!!! Use thick envelopes, best padded to protect the seeds and block all residual light. Seeds will germinate rapidly if they are triggered by illumination. You do not want the seeds to germinate in the mail!

 

 

 

 

BTW, I only clean seeds that I ship. If you sow the seeds immediately after collecting, no cleaning is necessary in my experience. Sugar is washed away when watering the pot.

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Thanks Andreas! I was thinking about posting guidelines to seed cleaning but you've given very detailed instructions above. I've added some images that I took a couple weeks ago to assist a source that hopefully will prove useful to readers.

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Bonjour

 

ANDREAS for that

Do not wait too long, in some Myrmecodia species the seeds die in the berries if not harvested

are you sure ?

 

no possibility  with the dry method , the'gelose' 

is easier to make disappear when it is dry than wet lol .

 

jeff

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Bonjour

 

ANDREAS for that

Do not wait too long, in some Myrmecodia species the seeds die in the berries if not harvested

are you sure ?

 

no possibility  with the dry method , the'gelose' 

is easier to make disappear when it is dry than wet lol .

 

jeff

 

It is not the case with all species but e.g. seeds of the species I considered Myrmecodia jobiensis dies within 2-3 days if not harvested. 

If you do not get the timing right in the plant I consider Myrmecodia horrida, you cannot get the seeds out of the alveoli anymore. Seedlings die soon or later but before they glogg the alveolus...

All the best

Andreas

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Jeff:

 

Besides avian dispersal agents, I suggest that the many arboreal rodents that occur throughout the range of the subfamily are also very effective and abundant "accidental" seed dispersal agents. I have found that black rats (Rattus rattus) to be very attracted to fruits of Myrmecodia, Hydnophtyum and Myrmephytum in cultivation and do not appear to be seed predators in the strict sense, since they leave loads of viable seed strewn on the greenhouse floor on the mornings following their nocturnal visits.

 

J

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