I sowed seeds from Sinningia bullata and Cubitanthus alata but was suprised to find one of these growing in each batch of seeds. Not a clue as to what it could be.
Diane
Suprise Seedlings
This doesn't look like any Gesneriad that I've ever seen...
Kind of reminds me of something Brassicaceae. Maybe the seeds came with the soil.
Olaf
Looks like a fun mystery! I'd grow it to flower. What on earth is Cubitanthus?
Cubitanthus is one of the genera that has been bounced around from family to family by taxonomists. Some place it in the Scrophulariaceae, some place it in the Gesneriaceae. They are small, terrestrial herbs from Brazil. Cubitanthus alatus is the type and only species.
http://www.genera-gesneriaceae.at/ - (Click on "Index to genera" and then look for [Cubitanthus] in the list)
http://gesneriads.ua.edu/image-library/cubitanthus/cubitanthus-alatus
Diane,
If you post that picture under the Plant ID forum someone will probably know.There are some real experts there.
Lynn
I decided to send a note to Mauro and laughed at the tone of his message. Its a weed.
Per Mauro...
It is a WEED!!!
Please discard it before it blooms or soon you will have it all arond !!!!!!
It belongs to the cabbage family and the name is Cardamine bonariensis, or Cardamine flaccida subspecies bonariensis
(you can look for more information on google)
What happened is that its seed capsule "explodes" and sends the small seeds everywhere, and some falled just inside the open fruits of S. bullata and Cubitanthus alatus before I had harvested them. As they are very, very small, I didnīt noticed it and they found a way to your home..
It is amazing what a weed can do to travel around the world :-)))
I am so glad I decided to send him a note instead of waiting for the plant to bloom. As pretty as it is, I don't think I want it in my yard or invading my plant stands.
Diane
Oh Diane that is so funny....not now maybe,but what a story for later! ^_^ Thank God Mauro knew what is was.
Lynn
Oh wow! Good that you caught it! That would have been a mess! They can have several generations a year...
Good thing that you wrote Mauro! :)
OMG- how impressive to identify a weed from Brazil from across the World. I can't even i.d. them in my own backyard!
It is funny. I know the micro-mini sinningia seed pods will burst and you can end up with seedlings coming up in places you wouldn't expect as I've had this happen with S. musicola and S. puscilla before but when I think about all the babying I do with my seedlings and then Mauro's panic at the thought of it making it to Michigan has had me laughing a few times. The 2 plants are no longer on my stands but I'll keep the pictures as a reminder LOL
I've ordered seed from Mauro numerous times over the years and have never had this happen but thinking about it got me back on his site and of course, that got me to place another big seed order. Can hardly wait to do it all again.
Diane
Diane,
I can't help it....I have this mental picture of you lovingly planting the tiny seeds and then tenderly nurturing them until they reached this size....only to have them turn out to be weeds! ^_^
Lynn
Lynn, I can picture the same thing LMBO!!! Now, did you picture her expression when she read the e-mail? HA!!!
Connie
Grin
You 2 are too funny. I did take good care of those babies! LOL