Your method of cross pollinating self fertile species?

[Loph]

pretty straightforward question for any breeders/hybridizers, how do you accomplish this?

i have bee trying by removing all the filaments just before the flower opens, but i often wonder if i am damaging things that are important (probably am).

whats your method(s)?

[daiv]

Loph, I've never tried this myself. Didn't really think about this until you mentioned it. I can sure see what you mean, how can you be sure it didn't get selfed??

[iann]

Professional breeders certainly do remove the stamens. Some experience with the timing of pollen release and stigma receptivity can help. Most mesembs are a pain because they dump their pollen almost as soon as the flower opens, but many other species wait quite a while with the anthers closed and give you a chance to chop them off. Self fertile plants use a variety of techniques like this to give other plants the first stab at pollination, then if that doesn't work they do the job themselves. Some of them are physically or chemically resistant to selfing when there is foreign pollen on the stigma. A good lens is handy to see whether pollen has got on the stigma before you want it to.