# Anubias seeds??



## Khamul1of9

Sorry for asking this question twice, but I think I asked it in the wrong place the first time. 

Does anyone ever get their Anubias to seed? I thought that maybe the reason its a rare occurance is becuase people grow their anubias under water. So I put mine with all the leaves above water and still no seeds. Though I have a flower which closed months ago and still hasne rotted.


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## Zapins

well i dont suppose you will see this reply as its more then a week after you posted it buut.... you are correct about anubias not seeding b/c people grow it underwater. if you keep it above water in an area with very moist air then it will produce little white flowers. i am not 100% sure but i think anubias needs another plant to fertilize it so you might have to grow several above water and probably hand fertilize them since there are no pollinating insects to do it.


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## RTR

I get some emerse flowers atop some of the rockwork or wood, but I have not yet seen any seed. I have not tried hand pollenating as I have done for Apons, nor do I know if they are self-fertile or require pollen from a different plant.


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## Khamul1of9

Well I do get it to flower, infact I believe its about to shoot out two more flowers. But all the flowers eventually turn brown and then rot away. At first I thought it was becuase I mist the tank that they are in every day leading to a wet flower, but if that were the case They would rot real fast. Instead they take about a month to rot. So now you are telling me that they dont auto pollinate. So, how do I pollinate? Do the flowers have both sexes? Thanks for the reply though.

Here is a pic of one of my past flowering events:


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## RTR

No experience with pollinating Anubias. Apogetons prefer or require cross-pollination. There I use soft artist brushes to stoke the spadix (central coulmn of the "flower") and then the other and back again. The pollen may or may not be mature at the same time the ovaries are receptive on a single flower (i.e., designed for cross pollination).


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## williamst

If the Anubias flowers under water, it can't be fertilized and thus won't form any seeds.

Anubias belongs to the Araceae family, similar to Cryptocoryne. The flower of the Anubias contains male and female parts, but mother nature has ensured that the flower won't self pollinate itself. When the flower first opened, the female part is receptive to the pollen. However, the pollen from the male part of the flower will only be fully developed after the 2nd/3rd day, which by that time, the female part is no longer receptive.

So in order to get seeds, you must have at least 2 flowers, and they must open about 2-3 days apart, so that you can collect the pollen from the older flower using a brush and then use it to fertilize the newly open flower. Cryptocoryne also have the same mode of reproduction.

It will take about 8 to 10 weeks for the Anubias seeds to develop, depending on the species. It will take about 10 days for the seeds to sprout in moist condition and a very long time, a few months, for the leaves to grow to 1 inch. 


William S.


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## Khamul1of9

Well sounds like a fun project! I know that my Agloeanema is a self pollinator, so I never had to do anything to get seeds, and they also take forever to germinate. My anubias, pictured above, is above water, and is about to give me two new flowers. Hopefully the timing will be right and fertilization will occur!! I can't wait.
Does Anubias 'Nana" the disproportionatly expensive tiny anubias flower??


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## RTR

If you mean A. nana petite, or petite nana, mine has not to date flowered and I have quite a fair stand of it now. But I have not taken it emerse.


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## idylldon

Mine just flowered underwater, which was a complete surprise to me!










Cheers,
--
Don


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## Khamul1of9

I bought mine with a rotting flower completely submersed. But its a flower machine emersed. I figured the petstore just submersed it after recieving it, and after it flowered just to sell it.


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## Khamul1of9

Ok, Today was the first day I was able to pollinate the Anubias flowers. The first flower bloomed on Friday, and the second one bloomed last night. I took a small fine brush and got the pollen from the first flower on it. Then I rubbed it against the female parts(stigmas) of the new flower. Hopefully I'll see something happen. Its all up to mother nature now. I'll do it again tomorrow incase the stigmas werent developed enough yet. Here are some pics:


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## JaySilverman

Any update on the seeding process?


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## Khamul1of9

So far, nothing has happened yet. The miracle of life remains elusive. But none of the flower stalks have wilted yet. I think it will be a month before I know anything for sure.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!


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## Khamul1of9

Ok,

One of the flowers which I hoped to fertilize wilted and died. The first flower from whoms pollen I thought I used to fertilize the second flower is still here. It has not wilted, and it should have since its older than the flower that did died.

Here is a pic:










Interesting to note is that it is about to flower yet again! Two new stalks are growing right now.


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## Авось

Anubias. Pollination. As this was.
January 2006. 

February 2006.  

May 2006.  

June 2006.  

July 2006.   August 2006.  March 2007. 

October 2006.  March 2007.  April 2007.


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## AaronT

Wow! That is really neat. Would you mind sharing some more details about how you were able to get the seeds to form?


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## essabee

My anubias nana flowered submersed, to my surprise, only one month from the date I got it. I had it strapped to a bog-wood with rubber bands.


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