HYB: Frost induced tendencies?

Hey Gang,

I spent the morning making crosses-- only the second day I've been able
to do so; I was starting to get twitchy.

As I fondled the blooms I noticed several polytepal blooms.  There are
three on 97-003-04 and 1 on 93-025-3, (both Bill Tysons seedlings). Two
of them have three standards and four falls, and two with four standards
and four falls. 

The Tyson seedlings bloomed out of buds that were white and papery at the
top half which Betty indicated is one sign of frost damage.  Naturally,
when I saw the first polytepal bloom I dismissed it as just frost
damage.  Now that there are four blooms I'm less inclined.

You see, there was a time when both those Tyson seedlings were on my list
of "flat" breeding stock.  They were not there for pedigree reasons and
so I took them off.  But now I remember that they've bloomed polytepal
(maybe even completely flat) before, and maybe that was how they ended up
on the breeding list.  That's why Raspberry Wine is on the list after
all.

I think I already mentioned that my own seedling 05-150-08 had produced
four styles. That's the same one that had one style with two complete
seams on an earlier bloom.  So here's the kicker, guess who's the momma
of the 05-150 cross... c'mon guess... Tyson 93-025-03.

So, I'm thinking I don't buy that these polytepal blooms are only frost
damage.  What if... what if... the frost damage, or maybe just the cold
season prior to bloom, triggers these polytepal blooms.  If I assume ffff
is a reliable flat, then couldn't Ffff, or FFff, or even FFFf, be frost
triggered?

Oh well.  If I didn't have any theories I would be bored silly with all
those blues.

Christian

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