Re: HYB: Tetraploid I. suaveolens

In a message dated 12/11/03 8:13:39 AM Eastern Standard Time, martweb@gmx.net 
writes:

> Is there a tetraploid I. suaveolens out there and does anyone think it 
> would
> be useful to make it tetraploid using Colchicine for breeding purposes?

Hi Martin,

Many years ago we obtained several plants of I. mellita (suaveolens) from the 
late Frank Williams of Kalamazoo, Michigan.  He was growing quite a number of 
them and using them to cross with diploid MTBs. One of the ones we got from 
him was especially attractive and my husband, Tony, tried using its pollen on 
SDBs.  One of these crosses produced a coral pink SDB which we introduced as 
CORAL WINGS.  It has always been in dispute between us whether the cross truly 
was with the mellita or a bee beat him to it.  He insists that somehow that 
particular mellita could have been a tetraploid.  He also points to the fact that 
the late Earl Roberts introduced an SDB and an IB that supposedly had I. 
mellita in their backgrounds.  Unfortunately, we lost our I. mellita.  I have 
always wished I could get chromosome work done on CORAL WINGS to prove one way or 
the other.

In any event, work with I. mellita in the 1950s through 1970s produced some 
interesting results and I think it would be well worth while for someone to 
induce a tetraploid form.  Colchizine is so dangerous, though, that it shouldn't 
be attempted by an amateur.

Dorothy Willott in Northern Ohio

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