Freesia laxa 'Joan Evans'

David Fenwick davidfenwicksnr@googlemail.com
Wed, 07 Dec 2011 01:39:59 PST
>>>>>>because it's a hybrid does this mean seeds from Freesia laxa Joan 
>>>>>>Evans
you can't call Freesia laxa Joan Evans or does it comes true from seed
I bought last year seeds and they flowered all smaller as the other white 
ones with a red blotch
with the same seeding date

Personally I wouldn't call seedlings of 'Joan Evans' by this name due to the 
variation that can occur. Joan Evans, seems quite distinctive with quite 
vivid spotting. However I guess there's many people, and many nurseries that 
apply the name to a multitude of various white with red spotted forms, some 
may or may not have been from this parent.

It's a similar issue to what is Crocosmia 'Lucifer'; a species I used to 
conserve and had the original hybrid from stocks at Bressingham Gardens, 
where it was bred in 1966. Most Crocosmia 'Lucifer' that is grown in gardens 
is from seed origin, it being significantly cheaper for ''large'' nurseries 
to produce from seed, as the parent plants, which may or may not be the 
original produce rather a lot of it. The progeny can either vary very 
slightly or greatly; the process has given a number of good new distinct 
'named' hybrids. Of course most of the material is still referred to as 
Crocosmia 'Lucifer'; but all it really is, is selfed seedlings of the 
original. It can be very difficult to conserve hybrids that have been turned 
into seed strains, especially where there is a high commercial demand.

See -
http://theafricangarden.com/freesia_laxa_joan_evan…

or Sheila's image on the PBS website, which appears correct
http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/…

A slightly different form of white with red here, the Rainbow Hybrid I 
mentioned earlier -
http://theafricangarden.com/freesia_laxa_rainbow_h…

Best Wishes,
Dave

David Fenwick
Heamoor, Penzance, Cornwall. UK. 




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