Follow-up about diploid X tetraploid crosses

I was just checking refrigerated seeds (in damp paper
towel burritos) and noticed that one of the four seeds
from 'Honorabile' X 'Muskoka Sunset' has germinated
and has a root about an inch long. Guess I shoulda
been checking them more frequently. I've planted it
anyway, so wish me luck.

By the way, my "Honorabile" is a found iris, so may be
mis-identified but I'm pretty sure it is 'Honorabile'.
It is a very infertile, old variegata type. Some day
I'll have to order 'Honorabile' from a reputable
source and compare the two. I've only ever gotten
seeds from it once before (just a few seeds from Iris
suaveolens var. mellita pollen) and those didn't
germinate. I've tried several fertile diploids' pollen
on it and had no takes at all. So on a whim, this past
summer, I pollinated several dozen blooms with (orange
tetraploid) 'Muskoka Sunset' pollen. Almost all the
pods aborted promptly, but a few held on longer than
the rest. Finally, only one pod remained at maturity.
It had four seeds (one of which is very
underdeveloped).

I'm especially excited about this seedling (hoping
that it survives) for two reasons.

1)because 'Honorabile' is so uncooperative as a
breeder at all
2)because diploid X tetraploid crosses aren't the
easiest either, and this seedling could be the source
of a welcome infusion of "fresh blood" into the
tetraploid gene pool

Tom
Just $16.99/mo. or less. 
dsl.yahoo.com 

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