magnolialover said:.... Something to think about.
And dang it, I spelled your name wrong again.
But yes, some good things to think about, thank's Tracey.
I've read, too, that there are some "pollenless" lilies that do produce pollen, but just don't release it.
Some other related things to think about...
---- I've watched how many kinds of insects "vacuum up" the pollen on anthers of many types of plants. It's really quite interesting, as there are different methods employed. Some lilies they really go for, others some not so much. At least to my nose, scented flowers don't necessarily get preference. Early morning, before the bugs get to the flowers that day always seems to be the best time to collect pollen overall. In fact there are some lilies that I thought just didn't produce pollen at all (even though they looked like they should), until I got to them early enough and then found it.
--- Just because I can't
see pollen on an anther, doesn't mean there isn't any. After all, each individual pollen grain only has two cells, and is way too small to see. With the aforementioned, "wiped clean of pollen" anthers, for example, I can take a "cleaned" stamen and continually dab a stigma (like 20 plus times) and it will eventually color with the pollen. But one thing I have not done (but should) is keep track of the results of these particular crosses.
--- I had never though of ploidy itself being a factor in pollen production. But I did assume that bad parent mach ups would be influential. As you say, seeing something from someone else's point of view is often enlightening.
(Many times, I will take photos of lilies before I mar them with a pollen cap, or remove stamens. While some insects are attracted to the nectar, the "pollen eaters" I have to keep swishing away so I have pollen to use. They work very fast!)
