An answer, sort of
ConroeJoe@aol.com (Wed, 24 Nov 2004 15:59:34 PST)

Hi,

Last summer I posted a question or two about red-leaved Crinum. Someone else
wrote in and asked 2 questions that I repeat here.

1. "I wonder how many red-leafed Crinum there are"
2. Are "they all C. asiaticum/Procerum"?

I've finally found out "sort of" answers to these questions, my information
comes from Marcelle Sheppard.

Marcelle reports that she has seedlings resulting from a cross of red-leaved
Crinum x a green-leaved Crinum, and that at least some of the progeny have red
leaves. She also reports that her crosses were not strictly C. asiaticum
procerum types, but included regular C. asiaticum.

So this is what I surmise:
1. There can be many types of red-leaved Crinum but perhaps there are only a
few that exist in the collections of breeders.
2. The red-leaved trait can extend beyond C. asiaticum procerum-types, but
perhaps has not moved far.

This is nice to think about; I have a C. x powellii that has splendid foliage
but truly horrible flowers (lots of little, wrinkled, quick-to-die flowers).
It would be all the more splendid of foliage if the leaves were red or
burgundy.

Conroe Joe
Rain is over, cool tonight, warmer and sunnier conditions predicted for the
next few days. No frost yet.