xAmarine

[Diane Whitehead]

My granddaughter noticed that a couple of pots of Nerine were different - bigger flowers and two broader leaves.

I assume they are xAmarine, a hybrid between Amaryllis belladonna and a Nerine.

Are they fertile?

[Uli]

Hello Diane,

I grow several different X Amarine of the Belladiva series which do very well here. I have tried to pollinate but so far no seed set for several years. I wonder if it could be a chromosome problem?

Bye for now 

Uli 

[CG100]

Online sources suggest that both Amaryllis and Nerine have 2n=22 chromosomes, so hybrids would be expected to be fertile.
But nothing in life is guaranteed......................

[Martin Bohnet]

I grow several different X Amarine of the Belladiva series which do very well here. I have tried to pollinate but so far no seed set for several years. I wonder if it could be a chromosome problem?

same for me (including the fact that one specimen actually has proven hardy and flowering in the open garden - it figures, as both Nerine bowdenii

and Amaryllis belladonna

are borderline hardy here.) I also tried pollinating with the smaller nerines, Nerine filifolia

and Nerine undulata

. no seeds.

PS: I really have to figure out why the nerine site doesn't find propper Previews with the species-bbc

[CG100]

Triploid?

[Wylie]

I have gotten seed crossing xAmarine with white Amaryllis belladonna. The problem is getting them to bloom at the same time.

[Diane Whitehead]

Good!  Have any of those back-crossed seedlings flowered yet?

[Wylie]

Not yet, but I keep hoping that this is the year. I grew a Strelitzia nicolai from seed, and that took 11 years of saying, "Maybe next year". I also have my own crosses of Amaryllis x Nerines from the Exbury collection that I am waiting on.

[Martin Bohnet]

Amaryllis x Nerines from the Exbury collection

Now those will be interesting - I've only ever seen bowdenii-based crosses. We're expecting pictures once they're in flower!

[Wylie]

I sent some of the bulbs to Uli a couple of years ago, so one of us will have some results soon, I hope.

[Diane Whitehead]

My granddaughter found a couple more at the garden centre where she works.

Here is one, with 13 flowers.