The kids and I have had a lot of success growing the Portulaca molokiniensis, both from leaf cuttings (more difficult) and rooted cuttings we've bought from nurseries. The key is to use very free draining media and to give them as much direct sunlight as they can get. The barrier we have not been able to cross (yet) is growing them from seed. I've been plying the web and
From the blog "Hawaii Horticulture":
Seeds are another way to propagate the Molokini ihi. The seeds are very small and are easily lost in a potting mix. Collect seeds from the cone-shape fruits just as they ripen. If the fruits open before you get to them, chances are the seeds will be lost. Spread the seeds along the top of the mix but do not cover. Keep the mix moist and in about two months the seedlings will start to appear. Keep the mix just barely moist, being careful to not overwater. Any overwatering at this point will cause rots to form and the seedlings will be lost.
From the website of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at the University of Hawaii at Manoa:
The 1/4 inch fruits of Portulaca molokiniensis are capsules shaped like pointed eggs and are filled with dark-brown to black, slightly sticky seeds. The capsules split open when ripe. To collect seeds, place mature unopened fruit in a container such as a paper bag and allow them to open naturally. Sow the seeds on the surface of moist, sterile, well draining mix such as 2 parts perlite and 1 part potting soil. Do not cover the seeds with planting mix. Germination takes about 2 (Koob) to 3 (NTBG) months. (Koob 1998; NTBG 1992)
So following the advice of these sites, I've made a mix of 2:1 perlite to soil and filled a shallow container. The seeds I recently gathered have been placed on top of the mix and I sprayed some water into the container. Now to wait the 2 months - yes 2 months.
From the blog "Hawaii Horticulture":
Seeds are another way to propagate the Molokini ihi. The seeds are very small and are easily lost in a potting mix. Collect seeds from the cone-shape fruits just as they ripen. If the fruits open before you get to them, chances are the seeds will be lost. Spread the seeds along the top of the mix but do not cover. Keep the mix moist and in about two months the seedlings will start to appear. Keep the mix just barely moist, being careful to not overwater. Any overwatering at this point will cause rots to form and the seedlings will be lost.
From the website of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at the University of Hawaii at Manoa:
The 1/4 inch fruits of Portulaca molokiniensis are capsules shaped like pointed eggs and are filled with dark-brown to black, slightly sticky seeds. The capsules split open when ripe. To collect seeds, place mature unopened fruit in a container such as a paper bag and allow them to open naturally. Sow the seeds on the surface of moist, sterile, well draining mix such as 2 parts perlite and 1 part potting soil. Do not cover the seeds with planting mix. Germination takes about 2 (Koob) to 3 (NTBG) months. (Koob 1998; NTBG 1992)
So following the advice of these sites, I've made a mix of 2:1 perlite to soil and filled a shallow container. The seeds I recently gathered have been placed on top of the mix and I sprayed some water into the container. Now to wait the 2 months - yes 2 months.
Those two big seeds (relative) are from the Euphorbia globosa (another post).
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