Dr. Fern Duvall Report - Fleming Arboretum

June 9, 2007

I received 18 Alani-Melicope knudsenii seeds from you that were harvested 25 February 2005. I soaked them 3 days and then scarified the seeds slightly with sand paper before planting them on 3/10/2005. They were planted in fine cinder. NO SEEDS HAVE SPROUTED TO DATE 9 June 2007. I am quite certain nothing will sprout.

May 25, 2006

In March 2005, 37 Alani-Melicope knudsenii seeds were planted in 2 pots — in one pot the seeds were scored. One years and 2 months later, one seedling has sprouted from each pot.

October 3, 2004

Unfortunately, as reported in the last update ZERO seeds have germinated
from the 2003 Alani-Melicope knudsenii seeds provided to me.

May 25, 2006–Seedlings turned out to be a Hibiscus not Alani

February 11, 2004

Of the 50 Alani-Melicope knudsenii seed allotment; all were scarified on the side with sandpaper, and soaked 5 days (change of H20 at least 1x daily)in water just covering the seeds. After this they were planted in a 50:50 supersoil/cinder mix. 25 were planted immediately after receipt, 25 in early November 2003 (were refrigerated until then). As of February 11, 2004 ZERO seeds have germinated.

Note: of 15 Alani-Melicope knudsenii seeds received in fall ? 2001, and so treated, 4 germinated. The first germinated 1 year and 14 days after planting and the next 3 within 4 more weeks. 1 damped off within 2 weeks, 2 grew to 4 leaf stage at 6 and 6.5 cm high. Of these two, one died of damping off(?) [it lost all leaves and slowly shriveled] the second was slug killed by girdling. It did not resprout. The 4th survived until slugs also girdled it about the very base, again with no resprout – it was 15.6 cm high 0.4 cm in basal diameter and had 7 leaves. Largest leaf was 4 x 6.8 cm. It vigorously survived until May 2003.

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