Re: OT: Chimera

Michelle, I am interested in hearing comments regarding your query.  Lloyd
Zurbrigg has a flower registered as I. 'chimera'.  It sounds like you are
referring to something other than this cultivar though.  If so, can you post
a link referencing what you mean by chimera.

In daylilies a chimera is a diploid plant that has been treated with
colchicine to convert it to tetraploid, but the conversion is not stable and
only part of the plant is converted.  Thus a chimera would be a plant with
diploid and tetraploid blooms on the same flower scape.  The chimera will
revert back to full diploid status.  Generally, one of the most reliable
ways to determine if a plant is a chimera is measure the pollen size with a
microscope.  This way you can determine which blooms are tetraploid and
which are diploid.  Often times, the base of the bloom will be thicker in
tetraploid flowers, too.

Bobby Baxter
Happy Moose Gardens
http://happymoosegardens.com




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michelle" <chiquita4@cox.net>
To: "Iris List" <iris@hort.net>
Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2004 12:38 AM
Subject: [iris] OT: Chimera


> I was browsing around in the iris photo archives and I stumbled onto the
term
> chimera.  I love the odd look of the chimera bloom.  Is this a mutation
that
> only occasionally happens, or is it a gene can be reproduced?  Are there
any
> flowers that can be purchased that are reliable chimeras?  Just a novice
> question from Kansas.
>
> Michelle
>
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