who knows about commercial birdseed sunflower plants? (PICS added)

[patandchickens]

'Cuz I have two volunteers underneath the bird feeder (of course), and while one of them is perfectly normal in every way, the other one is BIZARRO. It is same height, same foliage, same everything as its normal sibling... except that where there SHOULD be one or two normal sunflower type buds forming at the top and from each leaf axil, there is instead a short stalk with a cluster of many (dozen+) little BB-sized bud-looking things, not at ALL sunflowery looking. It looks frankly like what you see on ragweed just before the flowers open, or something like that. Buncha wrinkly BB-sized balls.

What is up with that?? (Purely curious)

I took a photo but, ahem, Mrs PhD Biologist College Professor Know-it-all has no clue how to suck pictures off the camera onto the computer and thus can't get them to photobucket until SysAdmin husband gets home


Pat

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

Mrs. PhD Biologist College Professor,

Don't worry I have a masters (working on my PhD) in marine biology, zoological oceanography and a bachelors in chemical biology but I can't ever and I mean ever set up a DVD, VCR and TV to actually function.

I know that some species of sunflowers that are used for birdseed mixes have cluster flowers. Such as Helianthus strumosus (Woodland sunflower) and I know H. decapetalus can have a 'flower spike' looking bloom but the foliage is different. Also, I'm not sure if they'd use that in birdseed.

Maybe we can wait for the photos? Who knows what it could be?

 

[patandchickens]

(working on my PhD) in marine biology, zoological oceanography

Cool, whatcha working on? I fully intended to go into marine ecology but got distracted by temporary ponds my first year of grad school and never quite got back to it

Here are some pics. The first one shows the normal plant in the foreground (1 flower, 2 buds) and the oddball behind it.

Then here's a closeup of the oddball plant. Sorry I could not get in any closer, but it is breezy today and I was having a LOT of trouble getting a sharp photo

So, what do you think?

I'll be curious to see what happens, but given its location (exposed to cars, children and t'storm winds) I can't guarantee it will survive to bloom.

Having nothing to do with any of the above, here is a free extra bonus showoff picture of part of my front perennial bed a couple weeks ago. It now also has brick-red daylilies blooming. Mind, this is the *prettiest* angle I could find to take a photo from, i.e. does not show the weeds and snaggly bits and places where there should be a bigger plant but isn't

BTW, for anyone bored enough to be following my bush-bean saga, it has rained the last several nights so I STILL have not been able to look for tracks in the sand I put out. But whatever it is, it also totally levelled a rather hard to find Sedum next to the front door. I am thinking voles. Although, when I told my m-i-l about it and said it looked like a tiny little axe-murderer on the rampage in my bean patch, she said, "Well, maybe there *is* a tiny little axe-murderer in there, have you thought of that?" So, now I am thinking of that too <g>

Pat

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

Wow, mutant sunflowers and miniature axe-murders sounds like you have some exciting times there. Hopefully they do make it to flower, you may have a very interesting sub-species there.

It really doesn't look like any sunflower I've ever seen.

Nice perennial garden though.

Cool, whatcha working on? I fully intended to go into marine ecology but got distracted by temporary ponds my first year of grad school and never quite got back to it tongue

I'm focusing around the effects of ENSO on the embryonic development of
Strongylocentrotus purpuratus located in California Coastal waters and Lytechinus semituberculatus found off of Galapagos and how this plays into the larger ecosystems. I've done most of my research in Galapagos and am now trying to finish up here in California.

It's funny you mention temporary ponds. We did a bit of research on them near Morro Bay, California and how Tegula funebralis had adapted mud casings during dry periods.

 

[bills]

I'm sure that odd plant is not a sunflower at all. Be interesting to see if the buds flower. Bird seed mixes somtimes do have some millet mixed in. I wonder??

Sorry to hear your beans are still under attack. Are you close to Toronto? Out west we often hear that Toronto considers itself the "Centre of the Universe". Perhaps it's a gravitational pull problem?

 

[patandchickens]

I'm sure that odd plant is not a sunflower at all. Be interesting to see if the buds flower. Bird seed mixes somtimes do have some millet mixed in. I wonder??

But doesn't the foliage look virtually exactly like the other one, that IS a card-carrying sunflower? To me it does anyhow. Only difference I can see is that the serrations at the leaf margins are a tad more pronounced and the overall leaf just a little rougher or 'pricklier' than the undebatable sunflower. Pattern of venation, etc is the same.

Also I have never put anything but sunflower seeds (straight) in any feeder here - although sometimes it's been BOSS, sometimes the striped ones, and the past year I mostly used the hulled and chiefly broken ones (because they don't create as many weedy volunteers, and because the waste is vastly less the price actually seems to come out nearly the same, $-per-week).

Millet is a grass, a monocot - that is for sure not millet.

I almost wonder whehter it might have some funky disease.

Have to see if it survives to bloom, I guess.


Pat

 

[patandchickens]

I'm focusing around the effects of ENSO on the embryonic development of
Strongylocentrotus purpuratus located in California Coastal waters and Lytechinus semituberculatus found off of Galapagos and how this plays into the larger ecosystems. I've done most of my research in Galapagos and am now trying to finish up here in California. It's funny you mention temporary ponds. We did a bit of research on them near Morro Bay, California and how Tegula funebralis had adapted mud casings during dry periods.

Oh man. Someone speaking my language. <falls over with a thud> Wow. Cool.

You are making me seriously homesick for the academic world. No wonder I find your posts so readable and informative!

Totally jealous (well, not if your work involves dealing with plankton samples, but for your sake I hope it somehow does not), and sending good 'dissertation vibes',

Pat

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

I'm focusing around the effects of ENSO on the embryonic development of
Strongylocentrotus purpuratus located in California Coastal waters and Lytechinus semituberculatus found off of Galapagos and how this plays into the larger ecosystems. I've done most of my research in Galapagos and am now trying to finish up here in California. It's funny you mention temporary ponds. We did a bit of research on them near Morro Bay, California and how Tegula funebralis had adapted mud casings during dry periods.

Oh man. Someone speaking my language. <falls over with a thud> Wow. Cool.

You are making me seriously homesick for the academic world. No wonder I find your posts so readable and informative!

Totally jealous (well, not if your work involves dealing with plankton samples, but for your sake I hope it somehow does not), and sending good 'dissertation vibes',

Pat

LOL the feeling is mutual with the posts, btw. So what's wrong with plankton samples? I actually enjoy working with them. Plankton studies were actually some of my first projects, it's always fun to see what you find.

Thanks for the good 'dissertation vibes', I sure can use them!

 

[poppycat]

The one in the back looks like some kind of amaranth. The venation in the leaves is a different pattern from the sunflower. Also the sunflower has alternate leaves and your other plant has opposite. If it is some kind of amaranth, PULL IT BEFORE IT GOES TO SEED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


The 3rd pic is beautiful!

(edited for spelling)

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

The one in the back looks like some kind of amaranth. The venation in the leaves is a different pattern from the sunflower. Also the sunflower has alternate leaves and your other plant has opposite. If it is some kind of amaranth, PULL IT BEFORE IT GOES TO SEED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


The 3rd pic is beautiful!

(edited for spelling)

I think you might have something there!

Pat, it kind of does look like Amaranthus, possible?