HYB: sport

In botany, a *sport* is a bud or branch that differs genetically from the
parent material, and when propegated, is true to the new, mutated, type.  It
is not derived from a seed of the parent, but from a division.  In irises, if
a division or a wedge of a fan shows a difference, such as in color, form or
foliage coloration, or has some other distinctive characteristic, and when
subsequent increase or divisions from that division remain distinctive to the
new type, we call that a "sport."  One can also use the term, a "mutation."

An excellent example is the white iris that appeared in the stock of the pink
May Hall many years ago in the Schreiners' growing fields.  It was a May Hall
in every way except in color.  It was not a seedling.  It grew from a
division, a rhizome of May Hall.  The genetic pathway that produced the
carotenoid pigment that becomes pink in May Hall was broken at some
stage--broken genetically.  The white sport was subsequently used in breeding
and appears in pedigrees.  It was used as a white iris and bred as one.

Similarly, among Orville Fay's seedlings one seedling had its original first
bloomstalk bloom blue on one half of the stalk, the other half white.  Fay
registered *both* forms in 1952 under the name GOOD AND PLENTY.  Subsequently
the pair were carried in catalogs as GOOD AND PLENTY (WHITE) and GOOD AND
PLENTY (BLUE).  In every characteristic except for the blue vs. white color
the two were completely identical.  Since the registered parentage is "Fay
sdlg. 44-44 x Fay sdlg. 44-23" it is not clear from this information alone
whether the white is the recessive white with blue dropping out or is a
dominant "I" white with the inhibitor dropping out.

I believe I remember (dimly) from an article in the *Bulletin* of the time
that included a photograph of the original bloomstalk that both parents were
identified as blue, making the white form a recessive type and consequently
the "sport."  (It might be noted Good and Plenty is a contemporary of BLUEBIRD
BLUE from Helen McGregor X Cahokia.  This may or may not suggest something
about the type of crosses Fay was making at the time.)

There have been a number of sports of HONORABILE (1840) that have been
registered.  KALEIDOSCOPE (1929) (also known as "Joseph's Coat"), was a
variant of the variegata original, and I believe I recall SHERWIN-WRIGHT
(1915), a yellow self, being described as another.  I am uncertain of the
latter.  Honorabile was noted as prone to producing sports.

In short, a SPORT is a non-sexual vegetative scion of an existing plant that
is different than the parent and both breeds and increases true to type, the
difference being as stable as any other iris is.

Neil Mogensen zone 7  western NC

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