Eranthis hyemalis Tubergenii Group 'Guinea Gold'
Paul T. (Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:47:43 PDT)
To answer your other question, Paul, I think I've read that the original
'Guinea Gold' is/was "sterile". I'll repeat my usual caveat here: claims of
sterility in the older literature have to be taken with caution. Often the
"sterility" in question is the result of a triploid condition in a
population which is otherwise diploid. Such triploids often give abundant
viable seed when pollinated by tetraploids.
Or, of course, they were sterile in those conditions, but taken into
other conditions they were no longer sterile. I often here talk of
particular things which are sterile in such-and-such a country, but
here in Aus (or vice versa) they produce seed. Sometimes a change in
environment can beat that sterility, and all it takes is one beating
of that sterility to start producing those seedlings that muddy the
waters as to the name being a clone or a group. And that is leaving
aside the just plain "wrong thing under wrong name" problem that
brings named clones uniqueness undone. <grin>
Cheers.
Paul T.
Canberra, Australia - USDA Zone Equivalent approx. 8/9
Growing an eclectic collection of plants from all over the world
including Aroids, Crocus, Cyclamen, Erythroniums, Fritillarias,
Galanthus, Irises, Trilliums (to name but a few) and just about
anything else that doesn't move!!