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Re:Bacopa flowering



>From: Stephen.Pushak at saudan_HAC.COM
>Date: Fri, 5 Jan 96 16:17:11 PST
>Subject: Bacopa flowering submerged
>
>My wife noticed the darnest thing last night; one of the Bacopa
>stems has opened up a small blue flower COMPLETELY SUBMERGED.
>This is the first time we've seen aquatic flowers underwater.
>Let me explain how I think it happened; some of the Bacopa stems
>have been growing quite vigorously and the stalks are sturdy
>enough that one or two have emerged several inches above the
>surface of the water. I left it that way for a while as a curiosity
>and to see how the emersed leaves would look. (similar the the
>submersed leaves, just smaller with a slightly waxy appearance)
>Later I cut these long stems in half and replanted the tops.
>This appears to be one of the replanted emergent stems that had
>already begun the process of developing a flower bud.
>
>The flower stem is about 1.5 cm in length and the size of the
>flower is about one cm. The flower petals are fairly large for
>an aquatic flower and have a purplish blue colour. I don't
>think it is going to last very long under the water. I guess
>I should have let it stay emergent for a while longer. :-}
>
>Has anyone played around with Bacopa flowers and seeds to try
>propagating this way? Do you need flowers from a plant not
>derived from the same genetic mother by vegetative propagation
>in order to produce fertile seeds? I think all my specimens
>came from the same original bunch of Bacopa a long time ago
>which were also likely all from the same biological mother.
>
>Steve
>
Steve, It sounds like you have Bacopa amplexicalus (used to be called B.
caroliniana). If that is what it is, it will have a pronounced 'herbal'
odor when you rub a leaf.   I used to have this species in a five gallon
aquarium where it pushed above the surface and bloomed regularly.  It never
produced any seeds, however, and I never was interested in trying to cross
fertilize the flowers because the plant is so easy to propagate
vegetatively. I have Alternanthera (species unknown) that self-fertilizes
and prodices seeds, and I used to have water hedge, Didiplis diandra, which
also produced floating seeds that later sank and germinated.

You can try growing it emersed and then transfer pollen with a toothpick
from one flower to another.

Paul Krombholz                  Tougaloo College, Tougaloo, MS  39174