Lynn,
OK to annotate your figures a little bit.
Photos 1 and 2 .'Greenwich Time' has that pale yellow pollen that is generally infertile. Compare this with the golden yellow pollen of a good pollen parent. Even with this pale pollen there are an occasional good grain or two among a mass of those that aren't. There are other photos that show the good pollen better.
Photo 3. You did a great job labeling the parts. Actually there is tiny suture line that opens that allows the pollen to dehisce. The flower on the left show a few anthers that have not dehisced so this is a very fresh flower. The flower on the right has probably been open a few hours, but, because it was covered with a paper bag, the bees have not gathered the pollen. You could either collect the anthers or rub the entire flower on the prospective pod parent.
Photo 4. The photo on the left is too far gone. The anthers have already dehisced. The flower on the right shows the pollen still not dehisced. Pluck these anthers off with the Dumont #5 forceps. The fine tips are absolutely perfect for this job but they are sturdy enough to pull off the anthers with no problem.
Photo 5. Close up of the Dumont #5.
Photo 6. Correct.
Photo 7. This looks more like a stage where I am removing the anthers getting ready to use this flower in hybridizing the next day. The stamens/ pistils should be spread out like a crown rack of lamb when they are ready to be pollinated. This one is definitely NOT ready for pollination.
Photo 8. Notice the sticky surface on the stigma just above the tweezers and that same surface now covered with pollen in the stamens just below the tweezers where I have just spread the pollen.
Photos 9 & 10. Most Jovibarba types are MISERABLE to hand cross because the petals surround the anthers and stigma so closely you have to peel away the petals to get the flower emasculated and crossed. The stalk on the left has MUCH better flowers than the more typical case on the right. I generally self pollinate flowers from this group by covering the stalks with paper bags and then just moving pollen around from one with pollen to one where the pollen has dehisced so the stigma is receptive. These more open forms like the flower on the left is much easier to cross pollinate.
HOPE THAT HELPS!
Kevin
