A. dunnii

From: Peter Randall <prandall at networx.com.au> on 1997.11.11 at 15:00:38(1605) Having two large tubers of what I'm quite sure are Amorphophallus dunnii developing flowers, one some twentyfour hours ahead of the other I thought to myself it should be quite easy to use the pollen from the first to pollinate the second as the flower development timing seemed to be just about perfect for a reproductive effort. The first inflorescence was very much a "young man flower" being very strong and erect but the second which opened a day or so later I guess could be described as an "old man flower". The spadix had started to collapse even before the spathe opened. (such is life !) Wasn't overly impressed by this but still attempted the transfer of pollen from the first to the second using a small paint brush. Now some three weeks later the tops of the spadix and the spaths have died wrapping the top of the still very green stems in dead dried tissue. Given that the stems are still very green some three weeks later it appears that two fruits are developing which seems to raise the odd question or two. +More If I don't have this back to front the female part of the flowers are ready for pollination before the male produces pollen (it's one way or the other) so how did the first flower get to be pollinated ? If the male flower produces after the female then there wouldn't have been pollen on the second to pollinate the first and if the first flower pollinated itself why won't they do this when you only have a singe inflorescence to work with ? Peter. 

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