Variation in Lycoris squamigera
Tony Avent (Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:36:04 PDT)
Jim:
Did you mean that L. straminea was a parent of L. squamigera or did you
mean L. longituba?
James Waddick wrote:
Is it possible that there is some genetic variation in Lycoris squamigera
in spite of its being produced mainly by bulb chipping?
Dear Anita and all,
Yes,,, and no.
Most of the L squamigera grown in the world are propagated
vegetatively - not by chip budding or scaling or quartering etc - as
far as I know. Do you have some specifics otherwise.? The bulbs are
vigorous enough and multiply fast enough to produce more than ample
bulblets and divisions to fill the commercial needs.
Some other Lycoris are tissue cultured - right Tony ?
L. squamigera was long believed, based on morphology and
chromosomes, to be a natural hybrid of L. straminea and L. sprengeri.
That specific cross was purposely repeated and the resulting plant
looked in all points like typical L. squamigera, but the plants were
diploid with 2n = 19. Essentially all cultivated L. squamigera are
3n = 27. One problem with this theory is that L. straminea is also
believed to be of hybrid origin.
Ocassionally L. squamigera will produce a seed in my garden,
but there are a variety of other species around that could act as
pollinators. I think it is safe to say it is totally self sterile.
Tricky stuff here.
best Jim W.
--
Tony Avent
Plant Delights Nursery @
Juniper Level Botanic Garden
9241 Sauls Road
Raleigh, North Carolina 27603 USA
Minimum Winter Temps 0-5 F
Maximum Summer Temps 95-105F
USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
email tony@plantdelights.com
website http://www.plantdelights.com/
phone 919 772-4794
fax 919 772-4752
"I consider every plant hardy until I have killed it myself...at least three times" - Avent