Similarity

Today was a good day to watch the seedlings grow instead of looking out the window. At this time many seedlings are starting to show their ‘true face’ and you can tell, in some cases, that the name on the label don’t match it.

The cute seedlings of Phyteuma cf. nigrum are next to those of Campanula rotundifolia, and I was thinking once again how similar many seedlings of species from the Campanula family are (in their first stages).

The seeds being from a seeds exchange, it is impossible to tell for sure that what I am growing is indeed a Phyteuma nigrum. It could be any other Phyteuma species given that they are not easy to ID. But in any case, it is something from the Campanula family :)

Next to Apiaceae: Lomatium sandbergii is starting to germinate (after 2 months of cold stratification). In a couple of weeks the seedlings will be similar with those of Phlojodicarpus villosus. These are for sure what their names implies because the source is known.

Things are even more difficult within certain genera. Let’s take Draba for example: look at them – they are all Drabas. I am sure about 2 of them (from my own mother-plants). The other two, I won’t write the names to avoid the confusion, may not be true to names and will need careful ID later. At this stage the leaves are showing all characteristic of the species. If they don’t match, we have to wait for the flowers and sometimes even for the fruits! for correct identification. So, we have Draba #1 and #2 for now…

The same goes for many other genera. Can you tell what Aquilegia you are growing from seeds in early stages? (unless it is very particular, like Aquilegia scopulorum in the feature image, + that I know the source).

Besides showing more seedlings (true images with seedlings are not easy to find), the message of this post is: please take time to confirm/identify your grown-from-seeds plants at the flowering time (before placing a final label close to them).
Always take into account that “to err is human” and that particularly species received from seeds exchanges could be wrongly identified.