----- Original Message -----
From:
n*@hotmail.com
To: hosta-open@mallorn.com
Sent: 01 March 2001 15:53
Subject: Chimeras
Bill Nash
asks:
I'D LIKE TO
ASK A QUESTION
HERE:
..several years ago, my H. 'Kinba' hosta-divisions: showed definite yellow
streaking in leaves of several plants. In the next growth cycle however,
(last year?) these reverted back to the all green leaf form, so my questions
are: why & how can this happen; and is there possibility, streak will
reappear again a year later (this year?) and via further
eye-divisions?
Hi Bill,
Glad you've joined
the discussion, and thanks for answering my question. I can't tell from
the photo whether the plant is streaked or a sectorial chimera. Could you send
it to me as a larger scan at say 300dpi and 400 pixels or so? I have handled a
few hundred sports so far, so I'm starting to get some feel for it. The amount
of variegation is a plus. Because there is so much on so many leaves the odds
are pretty good that it hadn't disappeared last year. One or more all-green
shoots had sprouted, leaving the buds containing the variegation unused.
There are of course many buds on a plant that size, and almost certainly some
still contained the variegated tissue. Allowing it to go through the year
without somehow moving these buds into growth (cutting, BAP, etc.) is usually
a mistake. I think what you have now is rhizome tissue and buds developed by
last year's all-green division/s, which will be far less likely to still have
some of the variegation remaining. I have seen it happen, though. I'd divide
or BAP as much as possible.
..........Bill Meyer
