Hybrids
Antennaria@aol.com (Sun, 09 Nov 2003 13:25:45 PST)

"Jamie" jamievande@freenet.de wrote:

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
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alliums, bulbs, penstemons, hardy hibiscus, western
american alpines, iris, plants of all types!