Re: Variegated TB's?
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: Re: Variegated TB's?
- From: C* M* <C*@newcastle.ac.uk>
- Date: Tue, 7 Jan 1997 02:55:17 -0700 (MST)
On Mon, 6 Jan 1997, Ellen Gallagher wrote>
>
> Question for the hybridizers - if one crosses a variegated iris
> with a 'regular' foliage flower, what is produced?
>>
Not sure about the hybridising possibility and the ability to pass on
variegation as it's generally accepted that variegation does not pass on
through to seedlings.
However...I have just come across a UK seed catalogue which sells
seed from open pollinated variegated plants of varying genera and
several of them pass on the variegation to at least a proportion of
the seedlings. The potential is therfore there. There has also been
a recent UK registration of a UK plant, a seedling of I pseudacorus
variegata, that has all cream leaves in the spring, and I know through
the grapevine that someone has a variegated I.ensata clone that arose
through bee polinated seed from a cultivar and a nearby clump of the
variegated form. The theoretical possibility of raising variegated TB's
from seed using selected crosses is potentially there but I'm not sure
if you could use either the cream or white variegated clones of I.
pallida as they may not be tetraploid like most of the modern TB's. The
already variegated TB's may need to be the parents and the number of
seedlings showing variegation may be low. Still not such a problem if you
are only initially growing for variegation, as any green seedlings can be
consigned to the compost heap.
Christopher Morris
Hexham Northumberland, UK.
