EXTREMELY RARE PLANT SEEDS Uncarina grandidieri - Bonsai

Uncarina grandidieri Seeds

This member of the Pedaliaceae family.  They are from Madagascar, growing in well-drained soil with lots of water, when in growth and lots of sun. The caudex will grow to 30 centimetres in diameter and the stem can reach 3,5 meters in height. The flowers are bright yellow, and it can be reproduced by cuttings as well.

Named after the collector: Alfred Grandidier (1836-1921)

I found this informative piece from: Chuck Hanson - Arid Lands Nursery. An interesting feature of this genus is its pollination strategy. Although the sexual parts of the flowers are apparently normal, the anthers never shed pollen. If one tries to pollinate the flowers of an Uncarina, the usual method of using a small brush to transfer pollen doesn't work. There are several families of pollen eating beetles. Beetles are not as skillful fliers as are bees, moths, etc., therefore they need a good landing platform so they can feed without flying. The corolla limb of Uncarina is a perfect landing platform. Some even have nice "runway" markings such as stripes and dark floral tube markings. Remember that these flowers are oriented horizontally. The stigma has two lobes, one upright and one hanging down into the tube, partially blocking ingress. The beetle pushes past this stigma lobe to get to the anthers. Each anther has a lobe that hangs down into the floral tube. The beetle begins feeding on this lobe. As it bites into the lobe a slit pore above the lobe opens and pollen the consistency of toothpaste is deposited on the head and thorax of the beetle. When the beetle exits the flower the stigma lobe offers no resistance. As the beetle enters another flower and pushes past the lower stigma lobe the upper stigma lobe is moved down on top of the beetle and scrapes the pollen off. Pollination!  This difficult process of pollination is why these seeds are so rare to find.  A must have for any collector of caudiciform succulents.