Native Plants

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Monday - December 01, 2014

From: Elmendorf, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Seeds and Seeding
Title: What does the seed for Tiquilia greggii look like?
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

What does the seed for Tiquilia greggii look like? Do you have a picture?

ANSWER:

Tiquilia greggii (Plumed crinklemat) has two synonyms—Ptilocalyx greggii and Coldenia greggii. On the USDA Plants Database you can see (under its synonym, Coldenia greggii) a closeup of the inflorescence with the plumes that are attached to the tiny fruit (with its seed) . Here is a link to photos from Southwest Environmental Information Network.

Although we don't have photos of the seeds, we contacted someone who could give us a very good description of them. Patricia Manning is at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, TX and is an expert on the species. Here is what she says:

"The seeds are about 2 mm, sort of elongate-ovoid and pointed at the ends. They are dark in color—brownish black with a light colored longitudinal band or stripe. They are not attached to styles, but are inside the calyx, which has rather plume like lobes. You kind of have to dig around in each tiny flower to pop the seed out, or rub the whole flower head gently over a screen. You can plant them without getting the seeds out, though, if you just break apart the head and broadcast the whole shebang in a tray of medium."

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Monday - December 01, 2014

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