Re: Cultivars

**G* R* <g*@grahamrice.com>**

Here is the agreed definition of a cultivar, as set out in the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants, usually referred to as the "cultivated plant code".

"A cultivar is an assemblage of plants that (a) has been selected for a particular character or combination of characters, (b) is distinct, uniform and stable in those characters, and (c) when propagated by appropriate means, retains those characters."

As implied, cultivars can be propagated by seed, eg the many hybrid petunias, pelargoniums etc.

Graham

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On Feb 28, 2013, at 2:05 AM, tloallergyfree@earthlink.net wrote:

> Did anyone ever answer this?
> 
> A "cultivar" may or may not be a hybrid....Many cultivars are simply selections and not hybrids at all. Not all hybrids become cultivars either. In horticulture a cultivar is usually a plant that is only propagated asexually, whereas many hybrid plants are grown from seed. Cultivar, to my mind anyhow, is actually an important word.
> 
> Tom Ogren
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Catriona Erler <catriona@catrionatudorerler.com>
>> Sent: Feb 25, 2013 3:36 PM
>> To: Garden Writers -- GWL -- The Garden Writers Forum <gardenwriters@lists.ibiblio.org>
>> Subject: [GWL] Cultivars
>> 
>> Reminds me of the wonderful quote from H.E. Bates' book A Love of Flowers which was published in 1974, the year he died.  By that time he was crusty and opinionated!  Here's the quote:  "(I note, by the way, a growing habit among gardening writers of using the detestable word 'cultivar', which always sounds to me like an ugly Russian cross between 'samovar' and a collective farm.  I consequently consign it to the muck-heap with such contemporary horrors as teach-in, fenestration, escalate, proliferate, reflation, where I hope it will rot.)"
>> 
>> I guess before they just used the term hybrid.  Is there a difference?
>> 
>> Catriona
>> On Feb 25, 2013, at 2:30 PM, frielster@aol.com wrote:
>> 
>>> Single quotes indicate the variety or cultivar (shorthand for "cultivated variety" name. 
>> 
>> Catriona Tudor Erler
>> 965 Pintail Lane
>> Charlottesville, VA 22903
>> 434 953-6780
>> Catriona@CatrionaTudorErler.com
>> www.CatrionaTudorErler.com
>> 
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