Pollination

[Silje]

Hello all

This is my first post. And I'm not only a newbie on the forum, but I have very short and limited experience with orchids as well.

I got an oncidium as a gift a couple of months ago and was bitten by the bug, so to speak. So I'm now an eager reader of orchid forums and books, and have bought myself a handful more plants to keep my oncidium happy (or perhaps rather me, since orchids make me smile, I've found).

Right, so I had a maxillaria tenuifolia and a colmanara wildcat flowering at the same time.

They were standing next to each other and looked so cute, and I thought: Hey, why don't I just pollinate the wildcat from the maxillaria? So I did. Without having any idea whether they are compatible or not.

And the wildcat swallowed the pollen, and closed up and now the flower is withering and the ovary is swelling. To my surprise.

So now I'm sitting wondering if this is at all a possible combination. Are maxillarias and oncidiums compatible at all?

Obviously, I had given no thought whatsoever to what I might do with the seeds if they actually do produce something... This is of course still months to to, in the unlikely event that they are compatible...but I've read that it is possible to sow seeds around a 'mother plant' and that some orchid seeds can germinate outside of flasks and labs.

Have anyone tried that, and did it work?

My second wildcat is coming into flowering right now. First flower opened this morning, so if it does work to sow seeds just like that, I'm considering trying another pollination... Just for the fun of it...

[RosieC]

I'm not sure if they are compatible, I would be interested for the input of others on this. It's possible it could produce sterile seed (which won't grow) or it could work. It depends on a lot of things I don't fully understand.

Generally you can cross things in the same genus or in closely related genuses. My first guess would have been that they are too far apart but I could be completely wrong on that.

Of course if you do get viable seed then growing them is not an easy thing and takes handling in a sterile environment and sowing in flasks of agar gel. Not something I feel ready to try but others here do it.

[Silje]

Hi Rosie.

Thank you for your input. I agree with you, I also think/assume that they are too far apart, and perhaps you're right that they cannot produce growing seeds.

I know this is about chromosome counts and other factors, and I've got no idea about any of it. I tried to find a list with compatible orchids, but haven't found any online. If anyone has a link, I'd appreciate it.

In one of my books, in the chapter regarding propagation it says: ..."Then simply scatter the seeds around the base of an established plant that will act as a 'mother plant'. Sown in close proximity to a mature plant, the seeds stand a chance of germinating with support from the mother plant's mycorrhiza and after several months just may see a few plantlets forming. Sowing seed around a mother plant is easy but a bit og a hit-and-miss affair". (From A Practical Guide to Care and Cultivation Orchids by Michael Tibbs, page 62).

So I thought that sounds like something doable, although it probably requires a bit more than my average luck and green fingers to succeed...

I think flasks etc is just way out of my capacity, and I don't think there are any labs around here that would be willing to grow seedlings for me.

[roby]

Hello
No they are not compatible:

Maxillaria
Tribe: Maxillarieae
Subtribe: Maxillariinae
Genus: Maxillaria

Oncidium
Tribe: Cymbidieae
Subtribe: Oncidiinae
Genus: Oncidium

The tribe is different

look vanda and phalaenopsis (compatible)

vanda
Tribe: Vandeae
Subtribe: Aeridinae
Genus: Vanda

Phalaenopsis
Tribe: Vandeae
Subtribe: Aeridinae
Genus: Phalaenopsis

[glengary54]

Silje - I agree with roby, they are not compatible. in answer to your question about sowing seed in mother plant pots. I know that in my greenhouse, I am constantly finding seedlings of Phaius and Grammataphyllum coming up in other pots. It's sometimes rediculous just how many seedlings come up.