Summertime capsules
A reminder that the Seeds Shop will close on July 15th for the summer – and reopen in late August/September!
I have just collected new fruits from the garden. And, it is equally exciting to have them as it was to see the new flowers, or maybe even more!? Just because it brings the possibility of even more flowers. It also gives the occasion to observe the fruit types & dehiscence patterns.
The fruits I am going to show belong to ‘catch them if you can’ category: dehiscent capsules that open suddenly to release the seeds, which are often equipped with appendages/coated in substances that attract ants, or they have a certain morphology which allows a quick dispersal.
The little Cyclamen coum, flowered for the first time at the end of March! This is a naturally early hardy-flowering Cyclamen species. The flowering stems will coiled down after the flowers fade, and if pollinated, round capsules will develop. If you miss the right moment when the capsules open, the seeds will be carried away by ants (or other insects). One tell-tale sign is that they became soft right before opening.
In May I proudly shown a Castilleja coccinea, Indian paintbrush starting to flower; a little success with this hemiparasitic species. The fruits, also dehiscent capsules, start to mature gradually on the flowering stems as the flowering goes on. After opening, the seeds are easily dispersed due to the particular honeycomb pattern of the seed coat outer layer; more on this here: Gone with the wind
In mid-June, I also had the chance to collect snowdrop seeds (Galanthus). If pollination is successful, large fleshy capsules develop; they start turning yellow just before opening to release the seeds, which are equipped with very large elaiosomes and are carried away fast by ants. It is good to collect and sow these seeds in a proper way, when possible.
Another interesting case is that of the fall flowering Crocus species (Crocus sativus, C. speciosus, C. banaticus – shown in the gallery…). Around mid-June is the time when they will ‘display’ their seeds, if any – it is quite a phenomenon. These Crocuses are flowering in late fall and shortly after that the winter arrives; so, what happens? The thing is that these flowers have an inferior, subterranean ovary with only the showy part of the flowers above the surface. The fertilization is actually happening underground, and later in the spring the capsules emerge above ground (in very simplistic terms). After a while, they mature and split open to release the precious seeds.
Look around your garden this summer and not only at the flowers. There are always various plants setting seeds; collect a few for the seeds exchanges offered by your local Horticultural Society.
