CactiGuide.com

I want to contribute this picture of a P. leucocephalus flower and unripe fruit. It's my plant, growing in West LA. Currently the leucocephalus page doesn't have any fruit pictures. I will also post a picture when the fruit is ripe

Neat flower. I wonder what it got pollinated with, Pilosocereus are self sterile.

SCS wrote: ↑Sat Sep 28, 2019 11:13 pm Neat flower. I wonder what it got pollinated with, Pilosocereus are self sterile.

I have heard P. leucocephalus is actually self compatible. This paper (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/ful ... 09.00254.x) states:

P. leucocephalus is partially self‐compatible

And according to them 14-18% of fruit results from self pollination. I can only read the abstract, and am curious if you have information that suggests otherwise

And to answer the question of what other pollen could have gotten in, Mammilaria pollen from residue on my paintbrush (I haven't very rigorous with cleaning my pollination tools...)

Hi Shane-

Interesting article on the pollination of leucocephalus. I don't have any other info, as few of my Pilos have ever bloomed.

If a cactus species is listed a self sterile, I've never pursued trying to get seed. Although, I have never looked up Feros and have brushed individual plants and gotten seed. Meaning, I didnt cross with anything or use other pollen, just 'tickled' the flower.

It would make sense for a plant growing in a hostile environment to have a Plan B strategy when needed.

It would make sense for a plant growing in a hostile environment to have a Plan B strategy when needed

P. leucocephalus is thought to bloom in asynchronous pulses, which among other things means the plants aren't all in bloom at the same time. So even more reason pollen from other individuals might not be available

The flower was successful pollinated and a second fruit is growing. Here's a pic of the two fruits