"Jamie" jamievande@freenet.de wrote: >The obvious problem with hybrids is their >fertility or lack there of. The Amarillids seem >to be relatively fecund, while the Alliums are >often sterile. This means we will see fewer >intergeneric Alliums, as well as F2, F3, etc >hybrids. I find that sterility among Allium species to be a rarity, not something that "often" occurs. Example: I have numerous forms of Allium schoenoprasum, and in two forms they seem to be "nearly" sterile and produce precious little seed, but most forms of chives produce masses of seed. All the forms interbreed readily. Apomixis is certainly known within the genus (the ability to produce seed asexually), so that can be a factor. Weather conditions can be the appearance of certain species not being fertile. In a few years, if it's dry enough, the Melanocrommyum section of Allium will produce lots of seed, but there are many years in a row where they fail to set a single seed among many species (this year was such a year, way too much way and tropical downpours). A few of the named "big ball" hybrids, such as the famous 'Globe Master" (macleanii x cristophii), are reportedly sterile, the claim largely borne out in my experience. To see this allium, here's a wiki picture showing a young inflorescence: http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/files/… But one thing I do know, my garden is FULL of Allium hybrid seedlings, and the range of possibilties seems to grow each year. Many species freely hybridize with one another, most often among similar sections of the genus, such as among the Rhiziridium alliums angulosum, senescens, nutans, rubens. Surprising hybrids among more distant species, such as between the American cernuum and stellatum with the European and Asian nutans, senescens, and rubens, fire up the imagination. There are no shortage of hybrids here. Mark McDonough Pepperell, Massachusetts, United States antennaria@aol.com "New England" USDA Zone 5 ============================================== >> web site under construction - http://www.plantbuzz.com/ << alliums, bulbs, penstemons, hardy hibiscus, western american alpines, iris, plants of all types!
