Fragrance in Hippeastrum
P. C. Andrews (Wed, 24 Mar 2010 09:29:30 PDT)

I remember a post on a bulb forum a few years ago discussing this and I believe there was a response from Alan Meerow about fragrant hippeastrum hybrids he had developed. The hybrids were not commercially available at the time although I looked for them for a couple of years. I could not find the original post but Google found the following from 1999:
Breeding of new hippeastrum cultivars using diploid speciesAuthors: A.W. Meerow, T.K. Broschat, M. E. Kane
Keywords: amaryllis, flower bulbs, interspecific hybridization, Hippeastrum
papilio, H. brasilianum, H. reticulatum
var. striatifolium
Abstract:

An amaryllis breeding program using diploid species not well represented
in current commercial tetraploid cultivars has been underway since
1988. Objectives are to develop evergreen cultivars with attractive
foliage and fragrant flowers of novel floral form and coloration.
F1 progeny between Hippeastrum papilio and,
respectively, H. lapacense, H. cardenasianum,
and H. vittatum var. tweedianum were successfully
produced, and selections made during their first and second flowering
season (February through June, 1990 and 1991). All selections from the F1
generation are entirely evergreen, requiring no dormant period for
flowering.
Under Florida conditions, some repeat bloom in the autumn months.
Forty-one second generation crosses (sibling, interhybrid and new
primary hybrid crosses) have been established in a new field under 30%
saran shade and first flowering is presently occurring.
The progeny of one hundred and thirty-nine third year crosses are in
production, consisting of additional sib and interhybrid crosses; new
primary hybrid crosses with H. papilio, H. tucamanum,
H. brasilianum, H. fragantissimum [these
latter three all white, heavily fragrant, trumpet-flowered species], and
H. reticulatum var. striatifolium. Complex crosses
with selected Dutch cultivars and hybrids originating with Fred Meyer
of California have also been generated.
A third trial field is being developed in the coming year for these
plants.
At present, nearly 300 crosses have been completed.

_________________________________________________________________
Hotmail has tools for the New Busy. Search, chat and e-mail from your inbox.
http://windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy/…