Re: HYB: JI X SIB hybrids
From: Bill Shear <BILLS@hsc.edu>
>From: Dennis Kramb <dkramb@badbear.com>
>
>>From: Bill Shear <BILLS@hsc.edu>
>>
>>SO--this still doesn't prove that these seedlings are really JI x SIB
>>crosses.
>
>Why would you think they aren't?
>
This is all in the archives, but--
1) This is a cross that has been tried many times without success, between
two iris species that are not very closely related to each other. It seems
very unlikely that suddenly such a cross should produce abundant seed and
that the progeny should themselves be very fertile.
2) Both species are very self-fertile and form volunteer pods with ease.
We don't know if Christy took any precautions to avoid self-fertilization
(emasculating seed parents, removing falls, tying up flowers, etc.)
2) The seedlings look like EITHER sibericas OR ensatas; none that I have
seen pictures of show combined traits or look intermediate between the
parents.
3) There have been no chromosome counts or RFLP examinations of the
seedlings to show the presence of genetic material from two different
species.
So, I remain skeptical. It COULD be, but I don't think it very likely. I
hope that before these plants become widely distributed or introduced to
commerce as hybrids, some form of convincing evidence for their ancestry
can be produced.
Bill Shear
Department of Biology
Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney VA 23943
(804)223-6172
FAX (804)223-6374
email<bills@hsc.edu>
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