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bambuda
29th June 2007, 09:39 PM
I don't have much to show but a couple leaves on my seedlings. Since it is chilly winter here (up to the 50's sometimes, and on cold nights down to 25F in the coldest parts of my garden), i did start out by keeping the seed pots in zip-lock type bags overnight in our waterheater closet. Soon, there were three germinated, each putting up a little shoot. However after maybe a week, with no more showing i began to put them out in my little glass house near the roof (zip open) during sunny times to let them receive good light. Our latitude is in the 40°'s, and my roof is nearly flat, so they don't get fryed.
But they do warm up nicely in the daytime, and i put them back in the (heat turned off) kitchen at night. This cycle seemed to coax another few to germinate.
At the same times the existing seedlings in the same container are blushing a deep wine color. Been watching to see if there are any unique characteristics showing, and even now the leaves seem to be quite hairy, top and bottom. And a single aural seta (is that the singular of setae??) that is same deep wine color. The node appears light green and fuzzy, but not hairy. The sheath is deep wine and also fuzzy (very tiny velvety-looking under magnification. Am still working out my digital Nikon to get it to focus on the parts i want...So will try and submit a shot or more.
These were fairly light colored seed, and nicely formed, 1cm or so long, and seemed ripe.

Time will tell if they are true to the name. Have had good success with other batches from this supplier in past, but it is too early to tell on some of the tropical/semi-tropical species to verify the names. --Especially since this is a fairly chilly climate here.
I had occasion to get a good seed of Dendrocalamus minor from a friend in SO. California when his plant from China flowered. However the seedlings from the above supplier are different, from that one Jim sent me.
The Bambusa lako, Dendrocalamus asper black, are taking there time getting big enough to identify. But the moso and the water bamboo seedlings seem to be true to name.

Will try to get some pictures up. ... (see post#3).

Mark Meckes
29th June 2007, 10:17 PM
Thanks Larry!
It's great for propagation experiments and identification purposes to have pics from the plants very beginnings.

I too have a Nikon (Cool Pix 7900).
Unfortunately, though it has Macro, it doesn't have a manual focus.
So I need to take lots of pics and sort out the best, and use trickery to get the camera to focus on a particular plant part.
... some methods I use, is a black fabric covered board, slipped behind the plant part, or I'll place my hand behind the plant part, press the focus half-way down, then sometimes pull my hand away and press the button.

Mark

bambuda
29th June 2007, 10:28 PM
Have uploaded some closeup shots.
These are shots of two week old seedlings. Unfurling third leaf, on seedling 10cm in height.
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/776/thumbs/Bdistegia_hairsauralsetae.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=4327)

Sheaths and stems are wine colored from their exposure to the sun. The node is light green and fuzzy.
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/776/thumbs/B_distegia_node.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=4326)

The hairs on the leaf are showing, as well as the wine-colored oral setae and leaf sheath auricles at the base of the leaf (the petiole).
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/776/thumbs/B_distegia_hairs_closeup.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=4325)

http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/776/medium/DSCN4217.JPG (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=4328)

These are with a Coolpix 4900, and i also had a magnifying glass on a stand which i shot through. You are right, i have to trick the camera into focusing on the part i want. With several tries, was happier with the result, but still feel they are pretty amateurish.

Mark Meckes
30th June 2007, 07:48 AM
Thanks again for uploading the pics Larry!
Looking forward to watching these babies grow.

I guess you will have to pamper them a little through the winter months till the weather warms up
I lived in Dunedin for a bit, many years ago, and remember that the weather can sometimes get damp and chilly.

Mark
PS ... The wooly protective coat on the leaves may come in handy. ;)