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Re: Epimedium propagation

Duncan, 
What are you talking about here? When discussing propagation of awarded
plants it is important to know if it is a specific Epimedium selection
(i.e. a clonal selection that has been given a cultivar name) or a seed
strain (as is often done with Hellebore) ?  

Perhaps one of our UK members would be able to point to a source that
explains the Award of Merit (A.M.) , First Class Certificate (F.C.C.)  and
Preliminary Consideration (P.C.) system.  It was my understanding (subject
to correction by the experts in the UK) that Awards of Merit were given to 
selected plants showing some "superior" character not the species in
general.  For example Epimedium rubrum 'Duncan's Delight' A.M. and not to
the entire species E. rubrum.  Upon looking through a recent Quarterly
Bulletin of the Alpine Garden Society I noted (with some confusion and some
concern) that a species was awarded the A.M. with no discernible clonal
indication. Please reply to this part via private email.

If a plant is a specific clone with a cultivar name and is not presented as
a "seed strain" by the originator or the literature,  then propagation by
sexual methods renders it NOT the clone you started with.  It is an
ANATHEMA to call seedlings of a asexually propagated plant by the clonal
name given to the parent plant.

It cannot be strongly enough stated that SEEDLINGS OF ASEXUALLY PROPAGATED
CLONES, regardless of how the pollination occurs, ARE NOT the same as the
clonal parent!  One MUST NOT CALL THEM BY THE CLONAL NAME!

As always there are exceptions where seed production is actually clonal
reproduction. This phenomenon, called apomixis, is found in some species of
Citrus (orange), Poa (grass), Allium (onion), Rubus (raspberry), Malus
(apple)  though it is relatively rare when compared to normal sexual
reproduction in plants.

There are also many "seed strains" where seedlings will behave very
similarly to the parent and most of us would not be able to distinguish
them from the parents.  I believe this was covered in previous discussions
on "field strains" or "open pollinated strains" VS hybrid seed.

Sorry to sound so stern here but this problem has caused much confusion in
the nursery trade and diluted the usefulness of some clones by having
"bogus clones" distributed often by well meaning and generous folks at
plant sales and farmers markets.  This is also one of the problems with the
concept of the Grex, which I do not wish to get into here but has caused
some confusion in the rhododendron world with several clones being sold
under one cultivar name.

All this said, Epimedium is generally propagated asexually by division in
the current nursery trade.

Best Regards,
Scott
Plant Breeder and Geneticist by training and interest
..........................................................
Scott Gregory Vergara		
Botanical Resources
(Specialty Nursery, Horticulture Education/Training, Consulting)	
P.O. Box 669
Burley, Washington  98322-0669   USA
USDA Zone 8 Ave Min Temp 10-20 deg F. Record low 0/hi 104 
svergara@pacific.telebyte.com,  HORTULANUS@aol.com
..........................................................

----------
> From: Duncan McAlpine <mcalpin@eskimo.com>
> To: seeds-list@eskimo.com
> Subject: Epimedium
> Date: Sunday, May 04, 1997 5:29 AM
> 
> This plant has been given the award of garden merit. Is it recommended
> to grow this from cuttings or seed? Which one do you prefer?
> -- 
> Duncan McAlpine, Federal Way, WA   m*@eskimo.com
> Why buy plants when you can grow them yourself.....?
> http://www.eskimo.com/~mcalpin/
> http://www.eskimo.com/~mcalpin/pumkin.html
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