Flower

The beauty Adenium Arabicum

2007-11-29T17:27:00.000-08:00

ADENIUM ARABICUM

Adenium Arabicum was found in South of Yaman and Arabic Peninsula.
At that place Adenium Arabicum can reach 4 meters high with strong and big root, big and wide green leaves, flowers about 4 cm.

At South of Yaman, Adenium Arabicum grow shorter, big root, leaves about 20 cm long and 12 cm wide, flowers about 8.5 cm. The color is white with pink at the end of side, and the funnel is white.

Few tips for Arabicum lovers:

Orchid FloWers

2007-11-29T17:19:00.000-08:00

The Society

Historical Orchid Paintings - HELP SUPPORT THIS SITE !

Founded on St George's Day April 23rd 1897 originally as The Manchester Orchid Society it was to become The North of England Orchid Society around 1973.

Initially, meetings would be held fortnightly in The Coal Exchange Manchester. when enthusiastic members from many parts of England would bring their plants to be admired and judged.

On December 18th 1913 over 1000 plants were displayed at such an event.
Apart from the odd brief interlude during both World Wars, the Society has been meeting regularly since its inception.

Nowadays, meetings continue on a monthly basis, each one still a judged show in its own right, with members competing on a friendly basis for annual challenge trophies covering some 20 or so classes

Membership of the society costs £14.00 double, £12.00 single, or £6.00 junior.

we accept credit cards cheques or paypal

to apply click here

Sumber : Orchid.org.uk

Each June we hold our

Annual Show at the wonderful and historic venue of Tatton Park

find us in the Tenants Hall on June the 10th 2007

CLICK FOR DETAILS

It was the practice of the society to have painted any orchids upon which our own awards were bestowed, and we still have some 700 or so paintings which date from around the turn of the century up to the second world war, we presently show on this website around 30 examples of them.
full sets are available on A CD Rom at a cost of £12.00 inc Postage which also has a complete history of the Society

for more information on the CD itself and how to buy one click here

Today, the society still awards First Class Certificates, Awards of Merit, and Cultural Commendations to plants presented at our monthly shows for judging.
To see more of the paintings please visit our

ART GALLERY

Want a book ?

buy books on orchids

( or anything else) from the books pages, any of the banners and adverts will take you to a secure linked site, where you can browse a little without any obligation

some make really good coffee table talking pieces, and are excellent Christmas Presents

Orchid Calendars

asiaphotostock.com

2008 orchid calendars available now.

Our Next Show

8th December

All Saints Church Hall

Hale Barns

Cheshire

CLICK FOR DETAILS

The North of England Orchid Society, if you live in the Lancashire Merseyside and Cheshire areas, we will have a show near you

More about the Society

Some images of our shows

Orchid FloWers

2007-11-29T17:17:00.000-08:00

Adenium (Desert rose)

2007-11-29T17:14:00.000-08:00

Adenium (Desert Rose)

Adenium obesum is a genus of spectacular succulents from tropical Africa and Arabia. The species range from shrubs with subterranean or above-ground caudexes to small trees with swollen trunks and stems to 15 feet tall. Their striking forms are further enhanced by some of the showiest flowers of all succulents, often borne in masses over a long season. Adenium is very popular flower plant in Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan. You can find some adeniums in Vietnam in the Vietnamese adenium page. Adenium can be propagated by cuttings or by seeds. It takes about 6 months or longer from seed to flowering. You can make a new hybrid by artificially crossing between 2 different cultivars or different species. The picture of a dissecting adenium flower shows how to pollinate an adenium. Some adenium hybrids can have many branches, some very few. However, branching can be induced by pinching the top. More branches can be induced by treating the wound with lanolin containing BA (Benzyl adenine, 1-2%). However, only a few branches (2-4) will be dominant and become main branches later. If you want to know more about adeniums, please join the Adenium Group Sumber : flowerpictures.net

Euphorbhia

2007-11-29T17:01:00.000-08:00

The Euphorbia Story

Euphorbia milii, commonly called the Crown of Thorns, is an old pot and house plant. In the tropics & subtropics it has been long used as a landscape plant, valued for its toughness and possibly even more for being inedible to cattle!

An unidentified E. milii clone forms an impressive focal plant on a traffic island in Mumbai.

Originating in Madagascar, several different clones of this orange red flowering succulent are common plants in tropical and subtropical areas- as a child I helped my mother to grow two large specimens with thick trunks in her balcony collection- they thrived for years, kept in check with bi-annual pruning- I remember the thorns and milky sap during this operation quite vividly.

Basic Crown of Thorns hybrids are commonly used as pot plants, or in mixed planting such as this one at a large Cactus & Succulent nursery in USA.

In the 70's several more species and cultivars in the Euphorbia milii complex were introduced into cultivation (for more details see: CROWN OF THORNS HYBRIDS by Stephen Jankalski) and soon crosses were made- Ed Hummel's hybrids are well known, at least in the USA and are often offered by Californian succulent growers. I am not very familiar with these but they show a wide range of flower color and plant form variations. They do not seem to have been specially selected for pot use and flower size is generally small to medium.

Other hybrids were made, the most notable effort being by Somona in Germany: again the details are not known to me but the hybrids were definitely well established in the early 90's and were specially selected for the European pot plant market. These were all crosses using Euphorbia milii and Euphorbia lophogona. The latter is a good pot plant, takes shade, flowers freely (white to dark pink flowers) and has thick, shining green leaves with grayish vein markings. It's only down side is that it is not self branching.

Euphorbia lophogona: a species with broad leather leaves. The plant seen here is a poor clone with respect to flower size & color.

The Somona hybrids are self branching with deep green, often large, thick leaves. They are free flowering with color ranging from cream through various shades of pink to red. Their flowers demonstrate to a remarkable degree the habit of some hybrids to form flowers from within flowers ("hose in hose"). This seems to be a lophogona trait and gives a much more colorful pot plant with flowers that can last months. These hybrids show leaves with Euphorbia lophogona characteristics (though with little or no vein markings) and flattened thorn clusters dispersed on the stem. The Somona hybrids are protected by plant patents and propagation is prohibited. Nevertheless, I have seen clones being sold in S.E.Asia and these may be part of the origins of the Thai hybrids.

There are several interesting articles on the net giving general information on the Crown of Thorns with particular emphasis on their culture, landscape use and some information regarding cultivars in USA. Check the following links:

1.Crown_of_Thorns Makes a Comeback
2.Crown_of_Thorns -homeowner
3.Crown_of_Thorns -production


What looks like a Somona hybrid outside a balcony in Taipei, Taiwan	A new European hybrid at the NTV fair, very similar to Somona hybrids.

MODERN EUROPEAN HYBRIDS:

In Europe, several other hybrid clones have been selected, many with little obvious Euphorbia lophogona influence. A number of them are protected; the most popular one seems to be the variety Vulcanus, characterized by compact growth, floriferous nature and relatively large red flowers to give a very attractive pot plant. It is also resistant to thrips damage, a vital factor in European greenhouse production.


Vulcanus in a 12 cm pot- lots of color.	Large scale cultivation of this hybrid. The light colored patch in the background is a new pink variety on trial- it proved susceptible to thrips


Two new hybrids under trial with the same Vulcanus grower - thrips resistance was his No.1 concern.

The number of hybrids being offered in Europe are increasing but with little really superior material. Using the Thai hybrids, several firms have introduced hybrids to give a "palette" of color but so far with limited results. On the whole the new hybrids lack flower size and concentration and still are very traditional colors. They also have to prove themselves with the growers as well as in the market. The photographs below show some of the developments in Euphorbia milii in Europe in recent years.


Some new hybrids for small pot production, most likely Danish.

One interesting use of EUPHORBIA milii is in the production of very small pots (4 cm to 6 cm) by Danish growers. This plant is a very good option for this use as it is very drought tolerant without being too susceptible to rot on over watering (very small pots inevitably face alternate conditions of drowning and drought) and will flower at very small sizes. The color range is still very limited-this probably reflects limited availability as well as breeders' and growers doubts about consumer acceptance.


Two very mediocre offerings in Dutch auctions- poor color and minimal impact.


Some of the better selections, with obvious Poysean influence	Relatively unattractive selection with scattered white flowers.

THAI POYSEAN HYBRIDS:

Poysean is the name that Chinese immigrants in Thailand gave to Euphorbia milii- it means Eight Saints- after the Eight Saints of Chinese mythology, each one representing a different force: Health, Bravery, Riches, Beauty, Art, Intelligence, Poetry and the last one being the ability to Overcome Evil.
(http://aggie.kps.ku.ac.th/ag-ext/crnthorn/poygen2/Poygeni.htm).

Old Euphorbia milii hybrids typically have eight flowers in each bunch, hence this name. The Thai believe that keeping Poysean outside the house or in the balcony or terrace brings these positive forces to the house & owner- this explains, to a certain extent, the popularity of Poysean in Thailand itself. Thus Poysean is an old Thai-Chinese name for the Crown of Thorns, not a new one for the large flowered Thai hybrids.

In the early 90's there was a sudden emergence of large flowered Euphorbia milii hybrids in Thailand. On my many trips to Bangkok, I have asked a lot of people there about the origins of the large flowered Poysean but no one seems to remember how these arose or where but I am pretty sure it wasn't the result of a planned breeding effort; most likely a sport or mutation with large flowers arose spontaneously and Thai growers, ever vigilant, propagated this plant. Under tropical conditions and in the open, cross pollination and further selection ensured the rest.

During my first exposure to these hybrids (in the early 90's), most had medium sized flowers and the color range was limited. Prices were high, typically tens to hundreds of US Dollars per plant. A few clones with the very large flowers we see today were even more expensive. Wealthy collectors, Poysean clubs and competitive shows along with media exposure led to crazy prices.

Ek Vilai - Overall the best yellow cultivar from Thailand: very floriferous, deep green, proportionate leaves, compact growth and good self branching characteristics.

As with Adeniums, extremely buoyant economic conditions fuelled this boom. I know on good authority that at one point, an excellent yellow flowered clone (probably Ek Vilai) was sold for 2 million Thai Baht after winning a Gold Medal at a show. (This was for the whole lot of plants of this clone on an exclusive basis, not a single plant). This was a large fortune for a small time grower and this kind of incentive was vital to the growth of the Poysean trade. It meant that any and all seedlings were grown to flowering and the slightest improvement was named and sold. In time it led to the availability of a huge range of flower colors in a range of sizes and on extremely varied plants.

I doubt that anyone has ever counted the number of named Poysean hybrids. Nevertheless, the frequently quoted figure of 2000+ different cultivars of Poysean in Thailand is almost surely untrue- even if one were to count all the ones ever named it would not come to this figure. If we count only the hybrids that are in some way unique (though not necessarily superior and worthwhile) the number would probably be in the low hundreds at best; most of these are now lost to cultivation as Poysean have become commodities with one low price for all cultivars, making it impractical to grow the slow, very highly floriferous ones.

By the mid 90's, scores of hybrids were being sold at Bangkok's Chatuchak Weekend market, along with lots of Adenium hybrids.

Poysean hybrids for sale at Chatuchak Week End market in Bangkok - plants are actually sold there on Wednesdays & Thursdays and this is where you can see the newest and best selections, though maybe not the cheapest. Best way to get there: take the BTS Skytrain to Mo Chit station-it's a short walk from there.

For a grower of tropical plants with money in the pocket it was the most exciting place to be. The bottom dropped out of this market in '97-'98, when the S.E. Asian economy tanked- most growers simply went bust or (with surprising speed) changed to other crops.


Some Poysean in bloom I bought in Bangkok in 2002 for less than 50 US cents retail- they are in seven inch pots. Typically the cultivars name is written in Thai on the pot side.

There has been a revival of sorts in the last couple of years, mostly due to export demand. Local prices are extremely low and only specialized and very skilled growers survive. There are probably less than ten serious growers around Bangkok, several of them members of one large family. High quality material is produced in bulk and shipped world wide.


Poysean hybrids, both new & old, on sale at the December show in Bangkok, held every year at the Royal Botanical gardens (Suan Luang Lor Kao, I think!)


What looks like a good, colorful crop of Poysean plants in a Dutch greenhouse trial reveal itself as a failure on closer examination: too small a pot, plants kept too dry and very close spacing for a plant that grows quite large give an unsaleable crop.

At the collector level these hybrids are very popular, especially in tropical areas of the world and in the USA.

Several efforts have been made to introduce Thai hybrids into USA and Europe as mainstream floriculture crops, with limited success. So far they haven't done too well for several reasons: poor cultivar selection by importers is the most important. Others include plants that are intrinsically large, making them costly to produce and pack; sensitivity to ethylene damage making boxing almost impossible and shipping long distances risky; little or no research on the needs and physiology of these plants etc.

In Bangkok one occasionally sees new clones- a very good recent addition is called "Tub Tim Siam" or "Siam Ruby" - but lack of exposure to western pot plant and grower/ market needs along with the language barrier makes it virtually impossible for the Thai growers to do meaningful selection for Western markets by themselves.

Two new, very similar Poysean hybrids from the same grower: on left Duang Thaksin and on right Mongkhon Thaksin. These two illustrate the problems that plague cultivar selection in Thailand: the one on left is much superior, with large flowers well exposed and nice leaves. The one on right has flowers hidden in the foliage and leaves that are large and floppy. With flowers so similar, only one should have been released. The similarity in names also shows how difficult it is for westerners to keep track of Poysean cultivars.

EUPHORBIA MILII in TAIWAN:

Southern Taiwan has a rich horticultural scene, especially for Adeniums. The climate is very tropical. We see mostly Poysean being grown here, with some European hybrids being propagated too.

The climate in southern Taiwan is tropical enough to use Euphorbia milii as a landscape plant- an example of a compact cultivar in a beautiful granite container.


One cultivar I found unique to Taiwan, a micro mini substantially smaller than Euphorbia milii var. imperitae. They use it for tiny landscapes and in mame bonsai pots. We have used it for our crosses.

I met only one breeder; he specializes in selecting small sized hybrids on his terrace. The following pictures show some of his best plants


Two of the best Taiwanese hybrids. The one on right has a particularly bright, almost glowing color.

TROPICA HYBRIDS:

Our own breeding and selection program is over 15 years old. In contrast to most other programs, we started with several different species and compact Euphorbia milii clones- to the best of my knowledge we have the widest gene pool of any current Euphorbia milii program. From the outset the aim was to produce "Western Style Pot Plant" material but with the inherent ability to take the high heat levels of the tropics.

By "Western Style Pot Plant" I mean a plant selected primarily for relatively small pots (10 cm to 20 cm or so), with plant and leaves in proportion to each other & to the whole. All along, enough care has been taken during the selection process to ensure such things as erect, self supporting flower stalks, well exposed flowers (rather than hidden amongst the leaves), overall deep green and attractive foliage etc.

This is distinct from the Asian model where flower size and color are given preference over almost everything else. Partly this reflects a market still in "collector mode" and partly cheaper labor and overheads. Thus, for example, large flower bunches on weak stalks are routinely supported by thin, inconspicuous bamboo sticks in Thai markets.

I got back my first Euphorbia hybrids and species plants from Europe in 1982- this trip included a visit to the Heidelberg Botanical Gardens and several good succulent nurseries in England. I also got a chance to go through several hundred wild collected plants of different Euphorbia species at a greenhouse in Germany and select the choicest clones. On the same trip I also got back some Adenium species as well as numerous other plants including Kalanchoe and African violets. The difficulties in keeping alive these latter plants that are considered quite tropical in Europe prompted me to think of breeding and selecting truly tropical and heat resistant yet colorful plants for the tropics.

After some thought I settled on the Euphorbia milii complex (Crown of Thorns) and Adenium hybrids as the two main groups for further effort. Our Euphorbia breeding & selection program is thus in conjunction with and complementary to the program for Adeniums started at the same time with the same basic objective: quality color under harsh tropical conditions.

Two things gave a fillip to our breeding program: the availability of the Poysean hybrids and the growing realization that both Euphorbia milii and Adenium hybrids have potential as mainstream floriculture crops in Europe, USA and elsewhere if enough R&D is done and the plants are marketed well; so far we haven't found suitable partners to do this with Euphorbia milii but I am hopeful for the future- this Euphorbia website is aimed primarily at finding such partners rather than sell the plants per se.primarily at finding such partners rather than sell the plants per se.


Our numbered selections in full bloom- each plant is different.	Some of the seedlings grown for selection- these are mostly in 12cm round pots on benches.

The current state of our Euphorbia milii breeding and selection program is as follows:

First, we have selected and numbered over two hundred superior selections with a wide range of plant heights & forms, leaf shapes, flower sizes, colors and patterns. From this rich smorgasbord I am hard put to enforce any sort of classification but would roughly categorize them size-wise into dwarf, compact, regular and large. We have plants well outside both ends of this spectrum - micro minis and giants but these are more of collector interest or for landscaping. Each has a different application or market niche. More distinctly superior seedlings continue to be added from a breeding and selection program that raises 3000 to 5000 new plants from seed every year. Every year we seem to get a general improvement in the quality of the plants and lately we are seeing complex yet very attractive new flower colors on highly floriferous compact plants, very distinct from the flat colors we see in our earlier selections and elsewhere.

Second, we have identified a mutant that will regularly produce terminal blossoms (as compared to the axillary ones in most clones).


Terminal blossoms in a large flowered hybrid. Since flowers continue to form and each bunch lasts for weeks, the show goes on for months.	A tiny seedling in a 6cm sq pot exhibiting the same characteristic.

Given adequate R&D and further breeding this characteristic can be developed into a range of plants with different flower colors that would present a spectacular inflorescence and make excellent Flowering Pot Plants for holidays or impulse sales along the same lines as Poinsettia, Chrysanthemum or Kalanchoe. Already we have plants with large flowers showing this trait.

Double flowers on this brightly colored hybrid- each flower have multiple bracts rather than the usual two.

Other interesting mutants and selections have been identified, such as clones with double flowers (with multiple bracts in each cyathium, not hose in hose) and some almost thornless "Crown of Thorns".

One of several clones we have that are virtually without thorns. The flowers are modest at best but these plants can be the basis for a long term breeding objective for thornless "Crown of Thorns"

Of course, all I can really say is that we have a large number of hybrids which are good to spectacular under our conditions: how they perform under greenhouse conditions in more temperate parts of the world remains to be seen but most are likely to do as well if not better (It is my experience that a dedicated Dutch grower can do a far better job with particular plants than we can with the huge range we grow- this is due to several reasons but most obvious is their hands-on approach and daily interaction with the crop). No doubt they would be superb additions to tropical regions but since most of these areas do not have Plant Breeders Rights so far, there is no incentive to release the plants there. Maybe in time a business model can be developed whereby it is profitable to sell large numbers of plants to tropical countries at relatively low prices but that is possible only when we have free and easy access to these markets, an advantage Thai growers increasingly enjoy as buyers from all over the world go to Bangkok to see and source new plant material.

YOU CAN SEE PICTURES OF MANY POYSEAN AND TROPICA HYBRID CULTIVARS IN CULTIVAR CATALOG

PLANT BREEDERS RIGHTS: AN ASIAN PERSPECTIVE

One of the bigger dilemmas facing a plant breeder/ developer in Asia (and elsewhere too) is to decide what to do when he has a new plant that he thinks has commercial potential.

Most countries in Asia are not signatories to the UPOV and so protection for plant varieties within Asia is not possible. In those countries where it can be done, a non-citizen cannot apply directly for a patent: he must assign the rights to someone else who is a citizen. The initial costs are prohibitive, especially when converted to Asian currencies and it's even costlier (and not really practical) to monitor & protect the plants from unauthorized propagation.

There are other considerations as well: should one first propagate the plant to substantial numbers and then apply for protection (thus maximizing the period of time for which one can enjoy the protection and be able to get a protected plant into the market faster) or should one protect first and propagate later (thereby making certain that the stock buildup is worth the effort, time and money but risk having large stocks of a dud plant). Also, should one get the plant to be tested first in the potential markets, protected by a "trial agreement"?

Current thinking seems to be in favor of accepting that the country of origin of a biological entity (natural or artificial) must get a share in the economic rewards gained from it. Thus a recent BBC documentary of the botanist Fortune's shipment of tea seedlings and plants from China to India (leading the to subsequent decimation of the Chinese tea industry due to competition from India) describes it as the "greatest robbery in human history"; given the magnitude of the economic fall out it was but most likely it wasn't seen as unethical then. The recent ruckus over the patenting of Thai Poysean hybrids and grafted Euphorbia lactea Crests in Europe shows that a similar trend continues today.

However, even now there seems to be no easy way for a breeder/developer in a developing country to make money from new varieties. One option is to do what the Thai growers do: propagate & sell new plants as soon as possible, at the highest possible price in the largest possible numbers. No doubt someone in the "West" will pick up the plant and patent it but in the meanwhile the original growers have made quite a bit from the variety.


Some Poysean hybrids were introduced as new plants at the NTV fair in 2002. The clones selected were some of the least suitable!

And as the experience with the Poysean hybrids in Europe shows, patenting is the easy part: taking a new plant and making it a successful long term crop is another ball game altogether.

As always, the middle path may be the best- a genuine partnership between the breeder and the western grower. The breeder/developer, using his gene pool, cheaper labor and smaller overhead costs can breed, select and propagate new varieties. The western grower can test, trial and promote the varieties, develop growing protocols & post harvest treatments, protect and patent the varieties- this kind of partnership, where both the risks as well as the rewards are shared, may be the only practical way forward for both.

Sumber:Tropicanursery.com

Adenium FloWers

2007-11-29T16:57:00.000-08:00

ADENIUM CULTIVARS AND HYBRIDS

The explosion in interest in Adeniums is primarily due to the selection of superior cultivars and the breeding work undertaken to give us hundreds of hybrids.

One must understand, however, that all Adeniums grown from seed are “hybrids” in that the plant rarely self pollinates and that each seedling is distinct in its own right. I have known one grower to claim he had a collection of a thousand hybrids – he counted each plant in his collection as a separate hybrid and considered minute differences between the leaves, flowers and growth habits as significant. Luckily he did not proceed to name the plants!

When I was first offered this white flowered Adenium, I flew to Singapore just to pick it up.

In the early days of Adenium breeding and selection it was exciting to find the first white or red flowered Adenium. However, lately there has been considerable inter breeding amongst the selections so that many traits will breed quite true and give seedlings of excellent quality- for example several Taiwan red hybrids will give 100% seedlings with red flowers when crossed. It then becomes imperative for the breeder to be very cautious when naming a new hybrid for vegetative propagation- it must show substantial improvement over existing hybrids before being selected and named.

This is not very easy as few breeders have access to a wide range of material for comparison. Even in Taiwan, which has more real breeders than anywhere else, there are two or more groups of growers and one group has little access to material from the other groups.

Taiwan is far enough in Adenium breeding to have seedlings from specific crosses being sold, often with a color label. This level of marketing is seen only with orchids.

A person growing Adeniums from seed can get really excited about a new seedling, not realizing that some much superior material with similar characteristics is already available. Conversely, it is very much necessary that clones similar in most ways but particularly adapted to certain cultural conditions (e.g. cold weather tolerance) or diseases are selected- they may then be used to replace otherwise similar older hybrids.

The only real way past this problem is to be very circumspect when naming and releasing clones with characteristics already well represented, e.g. typical A. obesum crosses with A. swazicum. A reference collection in various countries or under different cultural conditions would go a long way in preventing new but inferior material from being released. One of these reference collections would also serve as a registering authority for new hybrids.

Large collections and nurseries offering scores of hybrids rarely make the effort to really grade their hybrids and there is a great risk of collectors getting stuck with material that is not worth while. The initial cost is the least of the problems- since most people can only grow a limited number of plants it’s the opportunity cost which is the greatest loss.

When introduced as a floriculture crop, the intrinsic qualities of the hybrid will often quickly determine its success: the superior Thai cultivar Chomphoo Samran has become a staple in the Bangkok potted Adenium trade rather rapidly after its introduction.

BASIC GROUPS:

At the current level of hybridization the species involved are still pretty obvious- depending on the most prominent species, we can group all selections but no doubt this will have to be modified as more complex hybrids make it difficult to segregate them into these groups.

ADENIUM OBESUM:

This is the basic species and the vast majority of selections and hybrids would go under this group. It contains a vast range of clones in various flower colors, leaf forms etc.

ADENIUM OBESUMS GROWN FOR THEIR FLOWERS:

Till about the early 80’s, there was hardly any selection in the flower types amongst A. obesum clones- maybe some were grown for large flowers or for being extra floriferous but that’s about all. Since then there has been an explosion in the assortment of flower color available though other flower characteristics like double flowers or really new colors like yellow continue to elude us so far.

The main colors available include:

White:

A large number of pure white, albino clones are available. These totally lack any red pigmentation and have no red in the throat or anther tails, new growth is green without any red tinge and seed hairs are white. These clones do not necessarily breed true though some do. Flower size varies from small to large, with the best clones having medium large flowers in clusters such as the Thai cultivar Moro Lok Dok.

A new, unnamed and unreleased white with large, full form flowers of exceptional substance.

Problems with whites include extreme susceptibility to spotting due to any type of sprays, especially some insecticides and micronutrients. Future selections should aim for some improvement here as well as the usual: better form and substance, long flower life etc.

One characteristic unique (so far) to white is mild fragrance- there are certainly several clones that have a slight fragrance to newly opened flowers. Unfortunately I am “olfactorily challenged” and haven’t given much attention to this factor- strongly scented flowers would definitely be a bonus.

Pastels:

These are any flowers that are less than pure white and going on to being pastel colored, usually pastel pinks but also creams. A classic example would be Chomphoo Samran. Several clones have flowers that open almost white but slowly develop a pink to red blush to varying degrees (such clones may be called “Changeables”).

An old Thai cultivar (whose name I have lost) has large flowers that open pure white and slowly change to pink- the color can get quite deep under some conditions. This is one of the Changeables that go from white to pink.

There is a lot of scope for new pastel selections- since this is a vaguely defined color category it is difficult to aim for any particular direction- special selections have to be seen to be recognized as such. Amongst the Changeables, one should aim for increasing the color depth with age.

Pinks:

Pink is the species color of A. obesum and so selections with this basic color must excel in most other characteristics. A good example is Nung Deo – the flower form of this clone is exceptional, it is floriferous and has deep green, shiny leaves.

New pinks must have all the above with additional characteristics such a compactness, bright, clear pink color etc.

Reds:

Red colored Adenium flowers have been around for a while (the prefix Daeng means Red in Thai) but continued selection and breeding in Taiwan has led to a huge range of hybrids all with reds in different shades. This is where a RHS color chart would be really handy as it is difficult or impossible to describe the various shades- some of them are really distinct.

There are a lot of problems with existing reds- this is partly intrinsic to red hybrids in many different flowers including roses and partly a legacy of poor selection during the early stages- people were so excited by the deep red flowers that they neglected other aspects.

Color fading: almost all reds fade, to a greater or lesser extent. Some open a deep, almost blackish red and quickly fade to a dull, washed out red. This is exaggerated under hot conditions. Some very good selections fade very little but none that I know of become darker with age.

Petal edge burn: reds are the most susceptible to burnt black petal edges under hot, dry conditions. We are particularly affected by this situation and are selecting for resistance to this trait.

Poor self cleaning abilities: reds are most likely to hang onto dried flowers and unsightly calyces, giving a messy look to the spent inflorescence. Some very good clones such as Red Beauty suffer from this.

Poor flowering: a lot of red flowered hybrids are selected by seeing the flower in isolation. Many red clones flowers poorly and will not flower except in winter or spring. Many clones also have decent individual flowers but only one or two at a time- this does not make much of an impact.

Poor flower substance: many reds should never have been selected- flower substance is so poor that the flower limps in all but the best conditions.

The cultivar Arrogant, arguably the best red Adenium available in the trade today.

The above are the most common problems to look out for in red hybrids; one must, of course, always try and select for the usual positive characteristics. The most popular Taiwanese red clone, Arrogant (which I think is the same as Tender, another Taiwanese red) overcomes all the above short comings of red hybrids to a great extent.

Purples:

Almost all “purple” flowered clones are of Thai origin, where the Thai word “Muang” meaning violet is used. Many years ago they created quite a sensation but haven’t really lived up to their promise. I feel there is a certain amount of A. somalense var. somalense component in many though not all purples. Many of the problems that affect the reds also affect the purples- flower fading is particularly severe.

A new purple seedling with Blue select as one parent, showing little or no fading of flowers with age. This is an unusual case with purples.

There is no doubt a distinct color possibility here; some clones like Muang Madam have particularly clear coloration. We have some clones which fade very little but flowers are still small and plants don’t flower too freely. More work and selection is needed.

Almost all the purples are also rather rank growers with large leaves and lanky growth and require hard pruning once a year to keep in check.

Patterns:

Patterned Adenium flowers are any that have a strong and distinct pattern on the flowers; this may be in the form of a central star, a picotee pattern (white with dark border) or a lighter border around a darker flower. Other patterns may emerge in the future. All these add considerable interest to the flower and are welcome additions to the range.

One of several new selections with central star pattern: this one has decent form and heavy petal substance but the star is not very distinct or bright and the variety is not good enough to be named and released.

Flowers with a central star such as Universal Star seem to be of Thai origin and are basically the color of the throat pouring onto the petals. Currently all selections have poor flower form and they are not floriferous but we do have some very bright and eye catching selections.

Picotee is the normal pattern for A. multiflorum flowers and is an extremely eye catching coloration. Several attempts have been made by me and possibly other to combine the flower pattern and mass blooming habit of A. multiflorum with regular blooming habit of A. obesum. None have succeeded but we do have a fabulous picotee of unknown origin: Noble Concubine from Taiwan. It is an extremely floriferous, eye catching hybrid that flowers profusely for 3-4 months in winter-spring and intermittently through the year.

Wow!- the most obvious response to a Noble Concubine in full bloom. The fortunes of one of the best Adenium nurseries in Taiwan started with this one selection.

A considerable improvement over currently available hybrids with bordered flowers- we need to see how floriferous it is as well as judge it for other characteristics besides individual flowers.

Bordered flowers are of Thai origin, with Daeng Siam being a very good example. The word Daeng means red in Thai but the flower is actually a bright orange-pink (really need the RHS color guide here!) These bordered flowers are also very eye-catching and usually have distinctive bluish foliage. Further selection to improve flower form, avoid color fading etc is needed.

Others:

A category for placing items that wont fit into the above- maybe a yellow some day! Some work in this direction is being done using off white flowers. One thing I have noticed is that often young white flowered seedlings will show considerable yellow coloration but this disappears once the plants are older and flowering regularly.

ADENIUM OBESUMS GROWN FOR THEIR LEAVES:

A large number of Adenium selections have been made for unusual leaves, mostly different types of variegation. Apparently, Adeniums seem to give variegated sports rather easily and quite a few exist.

One interesting characteristic of variegated Adeniums is their vigor- for most plants, highly variegated sports are generally low on vigor and disease prone but not so with Adeniums- most variegated clones have strong growth characteristics.

Variegated Leaves:

The type, extent and color of variegation vary widely-Thai growers have been particularly adept at selecting for variegation and new sections keep appearing every year (the Thai word for variegation is Daang, very close to Daeng which means red). Some clones have been selected for bright, outstanding variegation; some have good flowers in addition to the variegation while a few are variegated sports of hybrids already selected for superior flowers (such as Black General Variegated).

A recently released, new Thai variegate called Princess Beauty. Besides being highly variegated, the stem and leaves show a lot of pink tones. Add the pink flowers and you have a particularly colorful cultivar.

At least two variegated clones with white flowers are known to me, one with very bright variegation called White Jade. Several variegates including this one has leaves stippled or spotted with white or cream- this can be extensive enough to give almost totally white new growth. Leaves then slowly turn green. This gives an extremely attractive look to selections such as Khao Sala Phat Nung but to most non collectors and horticulturists unfamiliar with it the plant looks like it is in an advanced stage of spider mite infestation so I guess its floriculture potential is limited!

Others:

Any plants with distinctive leaves but not variegated. Currently there is one obesum with distinctly colored leaves- Nila Kaan with reddish green to burgundy leaves. No doubt a golden leaved cultivar will turn up sooner or later as it has for many cultivated plants and indeed for Adenium arabicum.

We have one plant with distinctly heart shaped leaves- Valentine – but other plants with distinctive leaf shapes will also fall into this sub category.

ADENIUM OBESUMS GROWN FOR SPECIAL GROWTH HABIT:

Dwarfs:

Compact, branching growth is a highly valued characteristic for Adeniums and is one of the traits to look for when selecting new hybrids but these would not be put into this category.

Taiwan Dwarf: the other genetic dwarf. This is a very special clone of this as it has picotee flowers. The Taiwan dwarf strain is special in being less distorted and in having flowers of normal or even large size.

There are, however, some A. obesum clones selected primarily for dwarf characteristics; a typical example would be the selection called Mombassa, which is a compact, small leaved and heavily branched plant with very attractive over all plant form. There are also at least two extremely compact genetic dwarf forms of Adenium obesum. These come true from seed and at least the Thai form (Khao Kae) seems to have a simple recessive gene for this trait and is inherited in classic Mendelian ratios.

Others:

All other growth forms such as crests or monstrose clones would come under this sub category. There are several such clones available though few of them flower.

ADENIUM OBESUMS GROWN FOR OTHER REASONS:

This is a residual category to hold any future hybrids that do not fall in any of the above categories.

ADENIUM SWAZICUM:

Adenium swazicum was used in intergeneric hybrids with A. obesum over 20 years ago and some of the most floriferous hybrids belong to this group. A. obesum is usually the seed parent because of the difficulty in setting seed on A. swazicum.

Current swazicum hybrids are still very recognizable as such- traits include short, clustered anther tails; dark purplish throat coloration; long narrow somewhat hairy leaves and other characteristics that are a bit difficult to describe but obvious to the experienced observer.

The swathe of pink in the middle is a bench of Miss India: this extra floriferous clone stands out amongst all the Adeniums at Tropica Nursery, being always awash with color.

Swazicum hybrids are particularly floriferous- in fact the most floriferous Adenium I know - Miss India- is a first generation swazicum hybrid. Many hybrids have a different kind of elongated inflorescence that continues to bloom for months and almost all the good ones will show a new inflorescence developing before the current one is spent.

Flowers of A. swazicum hybrids range in color from light pink to red but newer hybrids show very attractive pastel colors. I am sure further breeding will increase the range of available colors similar to A. obesum. With this hope we retain the subcategories used in A. obesum for A. swazicum hybrids too.

ADENIUM SOMALENSE var. CRISPUM:

This relatively new variety is causing quite a stir amongst Adenium breeders- it introduces patterns and venation in the flowers not seen before. In the best hybrids it also produces compact plants with large clusters of flowers and attractive leaf forms. Unfortunately the novelty of these hybrids has meant that all sorts of very mediocre material is being sold for high prices.

A new crispum hybrid in Taiwan: this one is better than most being sold there for quite high prices. I would prefer to have more compact growth in crispum hybrids.

The one big disadvantage in using crispum in breeding is its quilled petals (in fact it gets its variety name from this characteristic). Most hybrids exhibit this characteristic to a greater or lesser extent and even though flowers may open with good form, they develop the twisted petals with age.

The other negative- small flower size- is not so difficult to overcome and with further crossing and selection it should be possible to get bigger flowers: indeed, some of the better hybrids already have flowers similar to average A. obesum flowers in size.

Over all, current selections are more interesting for the promise they hold rather than actual caliber- it is my impression that most crispum cultivars look better in photographs than in real life.

Every attempt must be made at this stage to stop introducing generic crispum hybrids, some with a combination of the worst characteristics of both species: tall lanky plants with small nondescript flowers of poor form showing minor crispum markings on the petals. The compactness of A. somalense var. crispum and its leaf forms must be part of the hybrids of the future, along with very distinctively marked flowers in bunches on floriferous plants.

OTHER ADENIUMS:

There are few cultivars or hybrids amongst the other Adenium species, either because their basic characteristics are not superior enough to warrant their use in breeding or the better characteristics (such as the growth forms of A. arabicum) cannot be reproduced easily by grafting, the preferred and practical mode of propagation for most Adenium selections.

A few selections that come to mind are mostly A. arabicum, such as Golden Crown, a seed grown selection with well developed caudex topped by multiple short branches. It does not breed true yet but I suspect superior seedlings are selected and grown. Prices vary from plant to plant depending on plant form.

A most interesting clone is the golden leaved mutant of A. arabicum called Golden Dragon. This hybrid is very slow growing and likely to remain a rare collectors item.

The only yellow leaved mutant amongst Adeniums so far- Golden Dragon. It is a sport of Adenium arabicum and occasionally gives typical arabicum flowers.

The other Adenium species probably contributed to some hybrids but this is neither documented nor very obvious. Two possibilities are A. bohemianum in the very beautiful hybrid Beautiful Lady and A. multiflorum in Noble Concubine. But till this contribution is confirmed we would have to treat these very superior hybrids as A. obesum.

We also present a Cultivar Catalog- each cultivar has the classification code on the top left. The search and navigation page of this catalog allows the viewer to pull out a specified selection of cultivars, e.g. by flower color or those with variegated leaves etc.

Sumber : Tropicanursery.com

Anthurium flower

2007-11-29T16:50:00.000-08:00

Anthurium Bouquets and Plants

Anthurium...The Heart of Hawaii

Anthurium andraeanum

With a vast array of colors and incredible vase life, the Anthurium is the most popular and long lasting of all tropical flowers, with over 12 million stems shipped annually from Hawaii. Our select farms grow the most consistent, high quality flowers, and produce the most spectacular cultivars found anywhere.

No matter what the occasion is, weddings, birthdays, holidays, office or home interior design, there is a variety of anthurium that will be the perfect choice. The colors range from the popular bright reds, bi-color obake, green midori to the subtle shades of pinks and peach.

Premium Red Anthurium
Anthurium, from anthos, meaning flower, and oura, meaning tail, refers to the many tiny true flowers that form in the yellow tail-like spadix. These bright red heart shaped beauties are the most well known the world over.

Premium Obake Anthurium
The bi-color red green Obake Anthurium hybrids are definitely Hawaiian in origin, with our Hilo growers producing some of the most outstanding cultivars in the world. The name, Obake, is the Japanese word for ghost and suggests the dramatic variations among hybrids in form, size, and color. If you're looking for a real exotic show stopper, this is the ideal choice.

Premium Pastel Anthurium
The highly prized pink, green midori and peach (not shown) anthurium demonstrate the subtle hues available of this most versatile flower. Many wedding bouquets are made up of pink and peach anthurium with delicate ferns wrapped with matching ribbon and tissue.

Tulip Shaped Anthurium

Anthurium amnicola

Tulip shaped anthuriums have become increasingly popular because of their unique shapes and colors. New cultivars of plants are still being discovered in nature and introduced to the ornamental tropical flower market. Our grower is the leader in producing these new and unusual anthurium varieties.
Sumber : Hawaiitropicals.com

Anthurium

2007-11-29T16:41:00.000-08:00

Anthurium Plant Care Instructions

ANTHURIUM CARE

Anthuriums are relatively easy to grow, have attractive foliage and under the proper environment, produce long lasting flowers year round. Commercially, pot type Anthuriums are grown throughout the world with the heaviest concentrations in the US (Florida) and the Netherlands. They are durable and will survive as an indoor foliage plant for a remarkable period of time, even under adverse conditions.

Anthuriums grow best with day temperatures of 78 to 90 F, and night temperatures of 70 to 75 F. Temperatures above 90 F may cause foliar burning, faded flower color, and reduced flower life. Night temperatures between 40 to 50 F can result in slow growth and yellowing of lower leaves. Anthuriums will not tolerate frost or freezing conditions.

POTTING

Anthuriums prefer a growing media that is coarse and well drained. The potting media should be of a peat moss base with a 1:1:1 ratio of peat moss, pine bark and perlite. Plants when they are youong should be planted in a mix that is not quite so coarse, to retain moisture. The soil should be settled firmly around the roots and the root system should fill the pot before the plant is stepped up to a larger pot size.

WATERING

While Anthuriums are able to handle dryness around the root ball, they need to be watered thoroughly and allowed to dry slightly before watering again. Allowing the plant to dry out will greatly slow down the growth cycle. Drying out can also cause the tip to burn and root damage, while over watering can also cause root damage and sudden yellowing of leaves.

LIGHT

Anthuriums as a rule (indoors) will take about as much light as you can provide them with-but not direct sunlight. Lower levels of light will slow down or cease flower production. The foliage type species will tolerate lower light levels as they grow in some of the shasiest areas in their natural habitat. Leaves emerging under lower light may stretch and/or become distorted.

FERTILIZER

A quick word on nutrition. Most growers use a slow time release fertilizer on their plants. Fertilizing should not be an issue for quite a few months. If you are going to fertilize, use a light solution of a 3:1:2 ratio and it is probably best to dilute to 1/4 strength.

PEST AND DISEASE

Anthuriums are susceptible to the usual pests that visit out indoor plants, such as aphids, scales, mealybugs and thrips. Thrips and "mealy" are found more on new growth. You can also find aphids feeding on the flower buds. Scales seem to be particularly fond of the tough bird nest type. The best method of insect control is to monitor your plants and treat them before they get out of hand. There are some "insecticidal soaps" which work well on the soft insects, but scales may need a stronger insecticide. Under low humidity conditions spider mites may show up. One of the best ways to stay clear of the use of chemicals is with periodic wiping of the foliage and a gentle sparay of water. Make sure not to forget the undersides.

The biggest disease problem that you will face indoors is RHIZOCTINIA. This is caused by high temperature and humidity coupled with soil that is poorly drained. Don't over water and if you must replant, use a well drained soil, for that will be your best defense. Chemically, RHIZOCTINIA can be controlled with a wide range of fungicides. The best approach is prevention via cultural practices.
Sumber : hawaiitropicals.com

2007-11-25T00:39:00.000-08:00

Flower

2007-11-25T00:25:00.000-08:00

Flower

Sumber: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A Phalaenopsis flower

Rudbeckia fulgida inflorescences

Etlingera corneri—Siam Rose

A flower, also known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Magnoliophyta, also called angiosperms). The flower's structure contains the plant's reproductive organs, and its function is to produce seeds. After fertilization, portions of the flower develop into a fruit containing the seeds. For the higher plants, seeds are the next generation, and serve as the primary means by which individuals of a species are dispersed across the landscape. The grouping of flowers on a plant is called the inflorescence.

In addition to serving as the reproductive organs of flowering plants, flowers have long been admired and used by humans, mainly to beautify their environment but also as a source of food.

Function

The biological function of a flower is to mediate the union of male and female gametes in order to produce seeds. The process begins with pollination, is followed by fertilization, and continues with the formation and dispersal of the seed.

Morphology

Flowering plants are heterosporangiate, producing two types of reproductive spores. The pollen (male spores) and ovules (female spores) are produced in different organs, but the typical flower is a bisporangiate strobilus in that it contains both organs.

A flower is regarded as a modified stem with shortened internodes and bearing, at its nodes, structures that may be highly modified leaves.^[1] In essence, a flower structure forms on a modified shoot or axis with an apical meristem that does not grow continuously (growth is determinate). Flowers may be attached to the plant in a few ways. If the flower has no stem but forms in the axil of a leaf, it is called sessile. When one flower is produced, the stem holding the flower is called a peduncle. If the peduncle ends with groups of flowers, each stem that holds a flower is called a pedicel. The flowering stem forms a terminal end which is called the torus or receptacle. The parts of a flower are arranged in whorls on the torus. The four main parts or whorls (starting from the base of the flower or lowest node and working upwards) are as follows:

Morphology of Oxalis acetosella flower. 1: petal, 2: sepal, 3: anther, 4: stigma, 5: ovary, 6: ovary, 7: ovule.

Calyx: the outer whorl of sepals; typically these are green, but are petal-like in some species.
Corolla: the whorl of petals, which are usually thin, soft and colored to attract insects that help the process of pollination.
Androecium (from Greek andros oikia: man's house): one or two whorls of stamens, each a filament topped by an anther where pollen is produced. Pollen contains the male gametes.
Gynoecium (from Greek gynaikos oikia: woman's house): one or more pistils. The female reproductive organ is the carpel: this contains an ovary with ovules (which contain female gametes). A pistil may consist of a number of carpels merged together, in which case there is only one pistil to each flower, or of a single individual carpel (the flower is then called apocarpous). The sticky tip of the pistil, the stigma, is the receptor of pollen. The supportive stalk, the style becomes the pathway for pollen tubes to grow from pollen grains adhering to the stigma, to the ovules, carrying the reproductive material.

Although the floral structure described above is considered the "typical" structural plan, plant species show a wide variety of modifications from this plan. These modifications have significance in the evolution of flowering plants and are used extensively by botanists to establish relationships among plant species. For example, the two subclasses of flowering plants may be distinguished by the number of floral organs in each whorl: dicotyledons typically having 4 or 5 organs (or a multiple of 4 or 5) in each whorl and monocotyledons having three or some multiple of three. The number of carpels in a compound pistil may be only two, or otherwise not related to the above generalization for monocots and dicots.

This Crateva religiosa flower is perfect: it has both stamens (outer ring) and a pistil (center).

In the majority of species individual flowers have both pistils and stamens as described above. These flowers are described by botanists as being perfect, bisexual, or hermaphrodite. However, in some species of plants the flowers are imperfect or unisexual: having only either male (stamens) or female (pistil) parts. In the latter case, if an individual plant is either female or male the species is regarded as dioecious. However, where unisexual male and female flowers appear on the same plant, the species is considered monoecious.

Some flowers have modified structures. Here the style is extended into an umbrella shape which catches pollen and aids pollination. (Sarracenia).

Additional discussions on floral modifications from the basic plan are presented in the articles on each of the basic parts of the flower. In those species that have more than one flower on an axis—so-called composite flowers—the collection of flowers is termed an inflorescence; this term can also refer to the specific arrangements of flowers on a stem. In this regard, care must be exercised in considering what a ‘‘flower’’ is. In botanical terminology, a single daisy or sunflower for example, is not a flower but a flower head—an inflorescence composed of numerous tiny flowers (sometimes called florets). Each of these flowers may be anatomically as described above. Many flowers have a symmetry, if the perianth is bisected through the central axis from any point, symmetrical halves are produced—the flower is called regular or actinomorphic, e.g. rose or trillium. When flowers are bisected and produce only one line that produces symmetrical halves the flower is said to be irregular or zygomorphic. e.g. snapdragon or most orchids.

Pollination

Grains of pollen sticking to this bee will be transferred to the next flower it visits

Main article: pollination

The primary purpose of a flower is reproduction by the joining of pollen of one plant with the ovules of another (or in some cases its own ovules) in order to form seed which grows into the next generation of plants. Sexual reproduction produces genetically unique offspring, allowing for adaptation to occur. As such, each flower has a specific design which best encourages the transfer of this pollen. Many flowers are dependent upon the wind to move pollen between flowers of the same species. Others rely on animals (especially insects) to accomplish this feat. Even large animals such as birds, bats, and pygmy possums can be employed. The period of time during which this process can take place (the flower is fully expanded and functional) is called anthesis.

Attraction methods

Bee orchid mimics a female bee in order to attract a male bee pollinator

Many flowers in nature have evolved to attract animals to pollinate the flower, the movements of the pollinating agent contributing to the opportunity for genetic recombination within a dispersed plant population. Flowers that are insect-pollinated are called entomophilous (literally "insect-loving"). Flowers commonly have glands called nectaries on their various parts that attract these animals. Birds and bees are common pollinators: both having color vision, thus opting for "colorful" flowers. Some flowers have patterns, called nectar guides, that show pollinators where to look for nectar; they may be visible to us or only under ultraviolet light, which is visible to bees and some other insects. Flowers also attract pollinators by scent. Many of their scents are pleasant to our sense of smell, but not all. Some plants, such as Rafflesia, the titan arum, and the North American pawpaw (Asimina triloba), are pollinated by flies, so they produce a scent imitating rotting meat. Flowers pollinated by night visitors such as bats or moths are especially likely to concentrate on scent—which can attract pollinators in the dark—rather than color: most such flowers are white.

Still other flowers use mimicry to attract pollinators. Some species of orchids, for example, produce flowers resembling female bees in color, shape, and scent. Male bees move from one such flower to another in search of a mate.

Pollination mechanism

The pollination mechanism employed by a plant depends on what method of pollination is utilized.

Most flowers can be divided between two broad groups of pollination methods:

Entomophilous: flowers attract and use insects, bats, birds or other animals to transfer pollen from one flower to the next. Often they are specialized in shape and have an arrangement of the stamens that ensures that pollen grains are transferred to the bodies of the pollinator when it lands in search of its attractant (such as nectar, pollen, or a mate). In pursuing this attractant from many flowers of the same species, the pollinator transfers pollen to the stigmas—arranged with equally pointed precision—of all of the flowers it visits. Many flower rely on simple proximity between flower parts to ensure pollination. Others, such as the Sarracenia or lady-slipper orchids, have elaborate designs to ensure pollination while preventing self-pollination.

Anemophilous: flowers use the wind to move pollen from one flower to the next, examples include the grasses, Birch trees, Ragweed and Maples. They have no need to attract pollinators and therefore tend not to be "showy" flowers. Whereas the pollen of entomophilous flowers tends to be large-grained, sticky, and rich in protein (another "reward" for pollinators), anemophilous flower pollen is usually small-grained, very light, and of little nutritional value to insects, though it may still be gathered in times of dearth. Honeybees and bumblebees actively gather anemophilous corn (maize) pollen, though it is of little value to them.

Some flowers are self pollinated and use flowers that never open or are self pollinated before the flowers open, these flowers are called cleistogamous. Many Viola species and some Salvia have these types of flowers.

Flower-pollinator relationships

Many flowers have close relationships with one or a few specific pollinating organisms. Many flowers, for example, attract only one specific species of insect, and therefore rely on that insect for successful reproduction. This close relationship is often given as an example of coevolution, as the flower and pollinator are thought to have developed together over a long period of time to match each other's needs.

This close relationship compounds the negative effects of extinction. The extinction of either member in such a relationship would mean almost certain extinction of the other member as well. Some endangered plant species are so because of shrinking pollinator populations.

Fertilization and dispersal

Main article: biological dispersal

In this picture you can clearly see the stamens of the flower

Some flowers with both stamens and a pistil are capable of self-fertilization, which does increase the chance of producing seeds but limits genetic variation. The extreme case of self-fertilization occurs in flowers that always self-fertilize, such as many dandelions. Conversely, many species of plants have ways of preventing self-fertilization. Unisexual male and female flowers on the same plant may not appear or mature at the same time, or pollen from the same plant may be incapable of fertilizing its ovules. The latter flower types, which have chemical barriers to their own pollen, are referred to as self-sterile or self-incompatible (see also: Plant sexuality).

Evolution

Flowers in Kamakura, Japan

While land plants have existed for about 425 million years, the first ones reproduced by a simple adaptation of their aquatic counterparts: spores. In the sea, plants -- and some animals -- can simply scatter out little living copies of themselves to float away and grow elsewhere. This is how early plants, such as the modern fern, are thought to have reproduced. But plants soon began protecting these copies to deal with drying out and other abuse which is even more likely on land than in the sea. The protection became the seed...but not, yet, flowers. Early seed-bearing plants include the ginkgo, conifers (like pines and fir trees). The earliest fossil of a flowering plant, Archaefructus liaoningensis, is dated about 125 million years old.^[2] Several groups of extinct gymnosperms, particularly seed ferns, have been proposed as the ancestors of flowering plants but there is no continuous fossil evidence showing exactly how flowers evolved. The apparently sudden appearance of relatively modern flowers in the fossil record posed such a problem for the theory of evolution that it was called an "abominable mystery" by Charles Darwin. Recently discovered angiosperm fossils such as Archaefructus, along with further discoveries of fossil gymnosperms, suggest how angiosperm characteristics may have been acquired in a series of steps.

Recent DNA analysis (molecular systematics)^[3][4] show that Amborella trichopoda, found on the Pacific island of New Caledonia, is the sister group to the rest of the flowering plants, and morphological studies^[5] suggest that it has features which may have been characteristic of the earliest flowering plants.

Various flower colors and shapes

A Syrphid fly on a Grape hyacinth

The general assumption is that the function of flowers, from the start, was to involve other animals in the reproduction process. Pollen can be scattered without bright colors and obvious shapes, which would therefore be a liability, using the plant's resources, unless they provide some other benefit. One proposed reason for the sudden, fully developed appearance of flowers is that they evolved in an isolated setting like an island, or chain of islands, where the plants bearing them were able to develop a highly specialized relationship with some specific animal (a wasp, for example), the way many island species develop today. This symbiotic relationship, with a hypothetical wasp bearing pollen from one plant to another much the way fig wasps do today, could have eventually resulted in both the plant(s) and their partners developing a high degree of specialization. Island genetics is believed to be a common source of speciation, especially when it comes to radical adaptations which seem to have required inferior transitional forms. Note that the wasp example is not incidental; bees, apparently evolved specifically for symbiotic plant relationships, are descended from wasps.

Likewise, most fruit used in plant reproduction comes from the enlargement of parts of the flower. This fruit is frequently a tool which depends upon animals wishing to eat it, and thus scattering the seeds it contains.

While many such symbiotic relationships remain too fragile to survive competition with mainland animals and spread, flowers proved to be an unusually effective means of production, spreading (whatever their actual origin) to become the dominant form of land plant life.

While there is only hard proof of such flowers existing about 130 million years ago, there is some circumstantial evidence that they did exist up to 250 million years ago. A chemical used by plants to defend their flowers, oleanane, has been detected in fossil plants that old, including gigantopterids^[6], which evolved at that time and bear many of the traits of modern, flowering plants, though they are not known to be flowering plants themselves, because only their stems and prickles have been found preserved in detail; one of the earliest examples of petrification.

The similarity in leaf and stem structure can be very important, because flowers are genetically just an adaptation of normal leaf and stem components on plants, a combination of genes normally responsible for forming new shoots.^[7] The most primitive flowers are thought to have had a variable number of flower parts, often separate from (but in contact with) each other. The flowers would have tended to grow in a spiral pattern, to be bisexual (in plants, this means both male and female parts on the same flower), and to be dominated by the ovary (female part). As flowers grew more advanced, some variations developed parts fused together, with a much more specific number and design, and with either specific sexes per flower or plant, or at least "ovary inferior".

Flower evolution continues to the present day; modern flowers have been so profoundly influenced by humans that many of them cannot be pollinated in nature. Many modern, domesticated flowers used to be simple weeds, which only sprouted when the ground was disturbed. Some of them tended to grow with human crops, and the prettiest did not get plucked because of their beauty, developing a dependence upon and special adaptation to human affection.^[8]

Development

The molecular control of floral organ identity determination is fairly well understood. In a simple model, three gene activities interact in a combinatorial manner to determine the developmental identities of the organ primordia within the floral meristem. These gene functions are called A, B and C-gene functions. In the first floral whorl only A-genes are expressed, leading to the formation of sepals. In the second whorl both A- and B-genes are expressed, leading to the formation of petals. In the third whorl, B and C genes interact to form stamens and in the center of the flower C-genes alone give rise to carpels. The model is based upon studies of homeotic mutants in Arabidopsis thaliana and snapdragon, Antirrhinum majus. For example, when there is a loss of B-gene function, mutant flowers are produced with sepals in the first whorl as usual, but also in the second whorl instead of the normal petal formation. In the third whorl the lack of B function but presence of C-function mimics the fourth whorl, leading to the formation of carpels also in the third whorl. See also The ABC Model of Flower Development.

Most genes central in this model belong to the MADS-box genes and are transcription factors that regulate the expression of the genes specific for each floral organ.

Flowering transition

The transition to flowering is one of the major phase changes that a plant makes during its life cycle. The transition must take place at a time that will ensure maximal reproductive success. To meet these needs a plant is able to interpret important endogenous and environmental cues such as changes in plant hormones levels and seasonable temperature and photoperiodchanges. Many perennial and most biennial plants require vernalization to flower. The molecular interpretation of these signals through genes such as CONSTANS and FLC ensures that flowering occurs at a time that is favorable for fertilization and the formation of seeds.^[9] Flower formation is initiated at the ends of stems, and involves a number of different physiological and morphological changes. The first step is the transformation of the vegetative stem primordia into floral primordia. This occurs as biochemical changes take place to change cellular differentiation of leaf, bud and stem tissues into tissue that will grow into the reproductive organs. Growth of the central part of the stem tip stops or flattens out and the sides develop protuberances in a whorled or spiral fashion around the outside of the stem end. These protuberances develop into the sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels. Once this process begins, in most plants, it cannot be reversed and the stems develop flowers, even if the initial start of the flower formation event was dependent of some environmental cue. Once the process begins, even if that cue is removed the stem will continue to develop a flower.

Flower

The beauty Adenium Arabicum

ADENIUM ARABICUM

Orchid FloWers

Orchid FloWers

Adenium (Desert rose)

Adenium (Desert Rose)

Euphorbhia

Adenium FloWers

Anthurium flower

Anthurium Bouquets and Plants

Anthurium...The Heart of Hawaii

Anthurium

Anthurium Plant Care Instructions

Flower

Flower

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Morphology

Pollination

Attraction methods

Pollination mechanism

Flower-pollinator relationships

Fertilization and dispersal

Evolution

Development

Flowering transition

Function