Hi David, The question you raised about x Powellii hybrids and their ability to be used in further breeding was answered some years ago by Les Hannibal and his contemporaries. The problem of being able to produce F1 hybrids and finding that hybrid sterility prevents the F2 stage where you would expect to find the expression of some recessive qualities has been a confounding factor in Crinum breeding. He found that reverse back crosses using x powellii pollen on to select forms of C. moorei or C. bulbispermum was feasible with some grexs and that many of the progeny of these crosses were vigorous and themselves seed viable eg. C. 'Virginia Lee' and C. 'Cecil Houdyshel' (C. moorei var makoyanam x C. bulbispermum album). An example of the backcross is C. Janice Gale = C. Cecil Houdysel x C. bulbispermum 'Sacramento'(polyploidal). Les Hannibal advocated that the best option is to use or create polyploidal hybrids as these more often retain seeding fertility. Some of these x powellii hybrids may add other complexities, for instance he mentioned that C.'Cecil Houdyshel' ( an amphiodiploid hybrid) if selfed, yields polyploidal moorei forms and sterile plants looking like C. bulbispermum album. . David Fenwick mentioned that many colour forms of x powellii were created around 1900 by the Belgium nursery Van Tubergen , - it is known that they made use of the form of C. moorei called var makoyanam that was dark coral pink coloured with very robust foliage and growth for the majority of their pink x powellii cultivars and that in these instances C. moorei was the seed parent. Hence the use of large vigorous hybrid forms is favoured for this approach and the fact that they have been amply created in the past can be noted from the Crinum hybrids you have been finding in the older garden scape of Sydney and the Central Coast. I have recently read that Les as well as other Crinum hybridisers also made use of mutating chemicals on Crinum hybrid seeds in order to induce polyploidy. It appears that there are a lot of these x powellii backcrosses crosses in the USA that have been given other hybrid and grex names and are hence disguised in relation to their x powellii origins. Cheers Jim Lykos Blue Mountains Zone 9b/10 David Sneddon wrote: > Howdy, > > Here is a picture of a crinum I obtained from Niagra Park, Central > Coast, NSW, Australia. > > The flowers are at just the right height to be peeping toms (looking > over the fence)! > > (Don't forget to read the comments on the pictures) > > http://ausbulbs.org/bulbgal/details.php/… > <http://ausbulbs.org/bulbgal/details.php/…> > > http://ausbulbs.org/bulbgal/details.php/… > > The flower looks similar to the plant I found at Pt Claire (recently > posted), but I think the foliage is different. > > Note I believe this one sets seeds. > > Regards, David. > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Hotjobs: Enter the "Signing Bonus" Sweepstakes > <http://pa.yahoo.com/*http://…> > > Yahoo! Groups Sponsor > ADVERTISEMENT > <http://rd.yahoo.com/SIG=12cam9uqs/…> > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Yahoo! Groups Links > > * To visit your group on the web, go to: > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AB_images/ > > * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: > AB_images-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com > <mailto:AB_images-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com?subject=Unsubscribe> > > * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of > Service <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/>. > >