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[BubbleCat]

Sometimes one has a plant that is different in some ways to the other ones of the same species, I then always wonder how this comes. Well today I again wondered about plants with 3 cotyledons, I do have a Meconopsis Aculeata and a Capsicum that grew that way this time, does anyone know how this comes ?

If anyone has other cool unusual plants please show and explain

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[gnosis]

That's wild, maybe that's the rebel the black sheep of the family

[New Wisdom]

Here are some variegated plants. Or variegata.  It is when the plant is lacking certain pigments. Usually chlorophyl is the one missing, but there are others.  Hence the different color variations in these seedlings/plants.

Here are some of my seed grown Astrophytum variegates. Also one Lophophora diffusa variegata.

P.S. I should mention  there is also another natural mutation in this post. The 8th picture is variegated as well as dichotomous, which means "double headed."  It has two growth points coming out of the same section.  A dichotomous variegata is a pretty awesome catch.

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[New Wisdom]

More pictures.  Two Ariocarpus variegates and one Astrophytum ornatum x myriostigma variegata.

[New Wisdom]

Here are some more types of freaks.  Crests and monstrose (or crested monstrose/monstrose crests).  Crests have a fanned out growth point instead of a single growth point.  It seems to be partially genetic and partially environmental.  Monstrose just grow super funky and irregular compared to normal specimen.

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[Ian Morris]

 "Don't call us freaks!" - Jimmy Darling


NW - What is the benefit of a crest on a trich scion?  Is there a benefit beyond the usual benefits for grafting?

I ask because it is my goal this summer to attempt some grafts when my a. fissuratus get going.  It just struck me as odd to graft a crested trich to a trich scion.

-Ian

[BubbleCat]

What a awesome collection, how can a plant lacking chlorophyl survive ? Wouldmt it be unable to do photosynthesis and therefore unable to bind any of lights energy for its own use ?

[Greentoe]

What a awesome collection, how can a plant lacking chlorophyl survive ? Wouldmt it be unable to do photosynthesis and therefore unable to bind any of lights energy for its own use ?

It wouldn't survive without being grafted

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[BubbleCat]

Two more Capsicum were born that way

Update: I do now know the phenomenon is mostly called tricotyledons, sadly it seems I can not breed them and also theres no / not much noticable difference. Some say there will be more lower branches.

[New Wisdom]

The big trich will be able to support the crest for a long time and the speed of growth is increased. A lot of those were seedlings and started on peres then clones were taken and put onto trichs. There are actually a lot of benefits to it.   

With the variegated ones they are grafted because they usually die on their own roots.  The stock provides the photosynthesis for the plant, but they aren't always completely devoid of all chlorophyl. Some of them can survive on their own roots because they have some chlorophyl, but just not as much as normal plants, so they still look to be different colors. Like the one I posted earlier that is on it's own roots.

New Wisdom

[Ian Morris]

I understood the reason for grafting the variegated ones, but I wasn't aware some 'greener' colors were capable of producing enough chlorophyll or even that the roots would suffice.  Thanks for the info.

Wasn't aware that the speed of growth for crests would be significant, thanks again.  Is it more a matter of the established roots and stock of the scion able to pump growth into the graft or a function of something else?  Just my guess, which means that it would work for all seedlings, trich on trich just getting the benefit of established roots.  PC scion stock just became even more useful to me. 

[New Wisdom]

Yes Ian, if the stock is bigger and more established it will increase the growth rate.  Also it's just useful for creating clones of crests fast.  It's easier to graft a small crested scion than try and root it in my experience. I usually only graft crested trichs, but I've seen people also grafting normal trich seedlings/cuttings to bigger trich stock.   

Say you have a huge one in the ground and you graft a small seedling onto one of the arms.  It will then take on the growth speed of the entire arm that you graft it to. As long as you keep new pups off of it. 

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[BubbleCat]

I wonder of this one has a similar deficite in producing chlorophyll like those mentioned and shown above. If so, if I could craft it I'd end up with a white Capsicum Also it develops badly and way slower than others. It hardly has any color especially in the cotys.