In a message dated 7/23/03 5:07:05 PM, crocosmia@blueyonder.co.uk writes: << I don't want to cause any controvercy about plant breeding, I just need to know if other people have heard the same rumours, as they have originated from a very good source, which shall remain anonymous. >> In Narcissus the basic number is n=7, except in the tazetta group where n can be 10 or 11 but not 7, hence the frequent but not inevitable sterility when one crosses the tazetta group to other Narcissus. At least this is how I learned it 20-25 yrs ago, since then various oddball species have been discovered and I am not sure if they fit in any differently or not. Harold Koopowitz is the one to ask about that. And he has worked with N. serotinus, whose basic number is, I think, n=5. Best wishes, Bill the Bulb Baron William R.P. Welch P.O. Box 1736 (UPS: 264 West Carmel Valley Road) Carmel Valley, CA 93924-1736, USA Phone/fax (831) 659-3830 _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.ibiblio.org http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php