Re: CULT: white 'reversions'
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: Re: CULT: white 'reversions'
- From: P* &* Y* T* <t*@dynamite.com.au>
- Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 08:34:20 -0600 (MDT)
>I hope that we will exercise care not to propagate new "Garden Legends" or
>reinforce old ones, even unintentionally. The original streaked or "broken"
>color pattern in tulips that was so highly prized by the Dutch several
>centuries back was the result of a viral infection. However, that does not
>mean that variegation in other plants is the result of virus infection, and
>indeed, there are modern streaked tulips that have been produced by
>breeding, not disease. The broken color iris that have been bred in recent
>times by Allen Ensminger, Brad Kasperek and others are the result of
>selection for genetic effects, not the effect of infection. Let us not
>inspire someone to contact Joe Spears with word that their field with
>hundreds of beautiful solid-colored iris has gone all streaky!
>
>Jeff Walters in northern Utah (USDA Zone 4, Sunset Zone 2)
>cwalters@digitalpla.net
>
What I mentioned was not a "garden legend" but is as far as I know a fact
(I shall for reference attempt to verify this once again and will let you
know). The leaf variegation in some plants (and I stress SOME) is a viral
factor that can be transmitted from plant to plant. I was not stating that
the irises were doing this and I resent the suggestion that I am rumour
mongering. I was merely bringing up the point that "strange things HAVE
happened in the world of plants". I WAS trying to pass on a piece of
information that I had recently obtained and that I thought may have been
of interest to others. Obviously in the future I should keep my
information to myself.
Sorry to have taken up everyones time with "Garden Legends", even those
that to my knowledge are based on fact.
Paul T.
