Re: apomictic?
- To: lindsey@mallorn.com
- Subject: Re: apomictic?
- From: S*@aol.com
- Date: Tue, 23 Feb 1999 13:49:39 -0600
In a message dated 2/23/99 7:42:43 AM Pacific Standard Time, dave-
poole@ilsham.demon.co.uk writes:
> This way, it is perfectly possibly to get a true cultivar of a
> dessert orange for instance, from seed by selecting out and retaining
> the nucellar seedlings. The difference in appearance is invariably
> quite marked and 'normal' seedling can be easily identified since it
> is usually considerably less vigorous.
If the "normal" seedling is less vigorous than the apomictic ones--and would
therefore be at a competitive disadvantage to them--why does the plant produce
it? Pollination/fertilization costs the plant energy, so why do it just to
produce a disadvantaged seedling?
Jason Hernandez
Naturalist-at-Large
