# Propagating through pollination



## Michael W (9 Dec 2013)

I've read that if you want to propagate aquatic plants through pollination you should use two plants that are not genetically related. How far is this true? I'm actually curious about propagating Anubias via pollination. I would like to know what ill effect would this have. I'm also guessing if you use two separate Anubias which originally came from the same plant would be the same as using a genetically same plant?

Michael.


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## darren636 (9 Dec 2013)

of course, different genetic material is preferable,  cuttings form the same plant are genetic clones, thus the same. im sure darrel would be able to offer some insight


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## dw1305 (9 Dec 2013)

Hi all, 





Michael W said:


> I've read that if you want to propagate aquatic plants through pollination you should use two plants that are not genetically related. How far is this true? I'm actually curious about propagating Anubias via pollination.





Michael W said:


> I'm also guessing if you use two separate Anubias which originally came from the same plant would be the same as using a genetically same plant?


 They would be the same plant, but that may not matter. I'm not sure about _Anubias_, but unless they are genetically self sterile (they are "self-incompatible" <Self-incompatibility in plants - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia>), they will set seed, but you would need several flowers open a few days apart as in Aroids the male and female flowers (on each spadix) will mature at different times. Unless you naturally have midges in your aquarium hood, you would need a paint-brush to transfer pollen from flower to flower. 

I know with _Aponogeton _plants that some are self-incompatible (possibly because they are triploid hybrids 3n), and some aren't. The one I've got of the_ A. crispus_ persuasion sets seed fairly freely, but only if you hand pollinate it.

cheers Darrel


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## Michael W (10 Dec 2013)

Thanks for the link, its an interesting read. I think I'll stick with using different genetic plants as I do have two different pots of Anubias Barteri var Nana. And perhaps I'll try Anubias Barteri var Nana Petite once I can get another pot as I have an abundance of the stuff from one pot over the years. But firstly I'll see if my attempts on growing Anubias are any good with the Nana Petite. Its going to be an interesting experiment!

And so my Anubias collection starts,
Michael.


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## Mick.Dk (10 Dec 2013)

Sorry to bring more things, to consider, Michael.........but your different plants may differ a lot less, than you think. Most likely with Anubias 'nana', they come from Tissue Culture..........which basically means all 100 milion plants are alike. I see "types" start to show in standard 'nana', though, so if you choose plants, that looks a little different in leaf-form, you are likely to get better polination. 
Actually 'nana', 'petite', 'bonzai', 'gold' and several others are also just such "types" of the original Anubias barteri........and should therefore be very capable of cross-polination, bringing unpredictable offspring.
Stem-plants would generally be easier, to get to produce seed, I might add.
- like allready said many flowers don't "mature" their male and female parts at the same time ( this partly prevents selfpollination in nature) and some even has ability to "wait" for the right weather. You'll just have to mess about with the tiny paint-brush in as many flowers in as many conditions as possible 
I once did a study on pollination and cross-pollination in Passion-flowers, and found that several "sterile" types was only male or female "sterile", and several others was not "sterile" at all, given specific weather (full sun, early early morning, staying sunny all day), but would fail pollination if only sunny morning, but rain later (likely due to pressure in the air!!) Just to show how advanced some plants can become......
- it's a fascinating world, though. Full of surprises..............go explore !!!
Mick.


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## Mick.Dk (10 Dec 2013)

Oh - and just to add to this.........there are also conditions that trigger germination of different seeds, when you get that far .......
Mick.


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## dw1305 (10 Dec 2013)

Hi all, 





Mick.Dk said:


> Most likely with Anubias 'nana', they come from Tissue Culture..........which basically means all 100 milion plants are alike.


 I think they will all be clonal as well. 





Mick.Dk said:


> Actually 'nana', 'petite', 'bonzai', 'gold' and several others are also just such "types" of the original Anubias barteri........and should therefore be very capable of cross-polination, bringing unpredictable offspring.


 Could be, but again my suspicion would be that many of the other cultivars are "sports" <
	Mutations: plant / Royal Horticultural Society > of _Anubias_ "nana" that only differ in 1 or 2 genes. 

This thread shows seeds and seedlings <My collection of Anubias. - Page 4 - Photography - Aquatic Plant Central>.

cheers Darrel


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## darren636 (10 Dec 2013)

Thinking about it, to have such a narrow gene pool could be a precarious situation.


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## Michael W (11 Dec 2013)

Thanks for all your input everyone! Mike this has not yet deterred me! I will give it a shot and see how it goes. I've recently taken a lot of interest in aquatic botany and physiology, that being said I know little to nothing. I love Anubias and such so I want to start collections and start attempting to propagate them via pollination. In fact the link that you showed with the seedlings, Darrel, is the exact thread that inspired me to go this route.

Hopefully playing around with this project can be a start to help me understand more about aquatic plants as I progress further. It will be a slow process as I have HC and Staurogyne Repens growing emersed too so I'll setup something to accommodate all of my emersed projects. 

Thanks,
Michael.


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