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Re: [SANS] Variegated ( Sansevierias) Plants

Dear Roger, Herm, Juan et al;
        I suppose I have to say something about the 'naturalness' of
variegation versus chemical/induced variegation.

        There are many 'kinds' of variegation. We are all familiar with the
dark bands found in typical Sans. trifasciata. This is indeed typical color
and pattern of the leaf. Many of you know the giant calla (Zantadeschia
aethiopica) with leaves that bear scattered white spots. This too is the
typical color/ pattern of the leaf.
        In the newly published book "Variegated Plants in Color' by Hirose
and Yokoi, the authors discuss the nature of this  'Pattern Variegation'. I
suppose it could be defined as foliage that is normally/typically
/naturally (?) not plain solid green (or some shade thereof). Lots of
plants have and some show a wide range of natural pattern variegation-
Maranta, Coleus, Begonia etc.

        In the world of variegated plants (i.e. True Variegation) we are
talking about 'sports' or mutations that show colors and/or patterns that
are different from typical.  Probably the commonest 'sport' in all plants
is the white flowered forms of plants that normally have some other color:
Iris tecotrum 'Album' etc.
        The very common S.t. 'Laurentii" is a common yellow edged
variegated sport. While a solid green leaved Sansevieria such as the
"Black" S. t. 'Nelsonii' is also a sport, but of a different sort.

        So when most folks talk about variegated plants that are speaking
of genetic mutations that produce chimeral tissues-a mix of normal green
tissue and tissue of some other color that give a plant a mix of green and
some other color.

        I suppose you can make any plant look 'variegated' by painting it
with some chemical that will kill the chlorophyll. Perhaps using a
paintbrush to brush on a line, stripe or polka dots on a Sans. leaf to make
some startling new pattern. But this would be both temporary and probably
fatal to the plant tissues. Would you buy a sansevieria that sported yellow
'smiley faces"?
        But we are not talking about this kind of chemical variegation.

        I realize I am probably babblling here and going on- the point is
that chemically produced variegation may not result in true genetic
mutation that will result in production of new variegated shoots (pups)
from a plant.

        Anyone have any idea of what sort of chemicals will 'force' a
sanseviera to look variegated?

        Best    Jim  W.( and Caveat Emptor)



ps.     I just realized that we have all seen Agave's and such that bear
the scars of someone's grafitti or a tree carved "John loves Mary" - I
suppose these might be called  mechanically induced variegation ???
         Thus irradiated plants which can produce all kinds of changes
including  varieagation patterns is yet another class of  radiation induced
variegation.

        Induced variegation: Chemical
        Mechanical
        Radiation
        Thermal (heat or cold)
        Viral...this could go on.

        Now I have 'gone on and on', but inquiring minds want to know.


James W. Waddick                        Voice: 816 746 1949
8871 NW Brostrom Rd                     E-MAIL: jim-jim@swbell.net
Kansas City MO 64152            Fax: 816 746 1939
Zone 5/6 -  Winter low  -10 degrees  F    Summer high +100 degrees F
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