From seed to flowering in a year

I sowed a number of species of seed last year. The first picture shows on eof the seed trays that I use for pricking out. All the seed shown here was sown on the 23rd January 2008.



My surprise was that the Lau 461 form of M. glassii has decided to flower, as shown in the closer-up second photo. There's no sign of flowers on the other Lau 425 form of the species.



Is this a freak event? or are there some forms of glassii that are much quicker to flower than others? It would be interesting to know, so please add your experiences.

No freak event I am afraid. I have always found M.glassii to flower early from seed. I sowed ML 425, 456, 457, 461 and Lau 1537 in 2007 and they are all in flower at the moment. Bear in mind that you use lights, which can knock a year off, then two years from seed to flowering is very good going.
Also in flower at the moment is M.giselae ML 677 and H.O. 485 again from seed sown in 2007.
Apart from these two examples I cannot think of any other speceis flowering so quickly from seed.

That is fast! I do not sow that early in the year so I am happy to have seedlings in flower 2 years after sowing. From the Mammillaria's sown in 2007 (april) I have or had the following in flower: M brachytrychion, M. giselae, M hernandezii, M magallanii (ML 534), M. nazasensis, M. perezdelarosae ssp andersoniana (in bud) and M tepexicensis (FO 177).

Wiebe

Nice to see this  wonderful 

I know the Stylothelae do tend to be early flowerers, but for you to get hernandezii to flower in two years is pretty good, I'd say Wiebe.

Here's my seedling of M.giselae ML 677 flowering today. Seed sown 25-2-07, germinated 5-3-07.

v

Chris, M hernandezii can flower when the seedlings are less than 1 cm diameter. Maybe just 1 or 2 flowers. The same for M sanchez-mejarodae; also flower in the second year with just 1 or 2 flowers on a seedling. I also forgot to mention M roemerii in flower in the second year.

Mark, My plants of M giselae seem to be about the same size as yours and in flower as well.

Wiebe

Thanks Wiebe, I have flowerd sanchez-mejoradae and roemeri at 2 years old, I was just surprised at hernandezii, which I find difficult to get into flower anyway. Buds form OK, but they don't always open.

Chris,

Because of my Stapeliads I keep my greenhouse at a minimum temperature of at least 12C. I keep my M hernandezii at the most sunny part and they flower in the middle of the winter (december).

Wiebe

Ah, that must have something to do with it. Mine was at 5C, but I think it was a bit too cool, as it certainly appears to have delayed flowering a bit.