The foundational fertile jonquil/main division hybrids are, of course, Limequilla Hillstar and Quickstep (and perhaps Gertrude Nethercote). The key problem is how to reliably introduce the genetics of the best main division hybrids into this group.
It is now clear that the great 3 listed above can form fertile hybrids when crossed with the viridiflorus/main division hybrids. (See my post of July 10, 2013) So one way to introduce new material into division 7 is via viridiflorus. I would dearly like to cross the best W-P and W-O with viridiflorus but viridiflorus is a difficult parent for me and it is unlikely I will succeed with this.
The worth of my putative tetraploid jonquilla is not yet firmly established (see my August 4, 2013 post) but it seems likely it can be used to funnel main division genetics into fertile division 7’s. 10/10MJ is proving to be a modest seeder (and has set seed to a sibling of 10/14MJ) but it has been very well received by the great 3/viridiflorus group as a pollen parent. I expect that strong orange/red has been injected into this group of fertile hybrids.
The tetraploid jonquilla is an unbelievably unwilling parent – just a couple of seeds this year, hopefully one from Pink China. Its hybrids with main division flowers have strangely few florets so this year I put it back onto one of its own seedlings (12/25MJ). That appears to have taken. I appear to have triploid jonquilla and these seem hopelessly sterile (as is sometimes the case with autotriploids in division 6).
The strategy of putting the pollen of sterile jonquil/main division triploids onto the fertile hybrids (as suggested for division 5) was only faintly pursued this season. A seed or two may have been produced but open or self pollination is probably more likely.
And then there’s fernandesii! This year has been an extraordinary year for open pollinated seed from fernandesii hybrids – they have very much outperformed the great 3 group. The evidence for me so far is that fernandesii hybrids will require patience so this good seed set may help to clarify the potential of these hybrids.
fernandesii x Redlands Too
02/2J (fernandesii?) x Char
Rod Barwick’s Dear Me x fernandesii series have fertility but nothing has yet been registered from them. The only fernandesii hybrid to perform obviously well for me as a parent so far is the sterile 09/2MJ = 03/1MJ (Limequilla x Emerald Sea) x fernandesii. Interestingly, the 03/1MJ x fernandesii hybrids, (including the 12/11MJ of my July post) have set seed to crosses and as open pollinations – far more so than the supposedly fertile tetraploid jonquilla. (Hybrids between tetraploid jonquilla and the great 3 group remain stubbornly sterile). Perhaps flowers such as Dissertation and Season’s Greetings may have useful fertility.
A fernandesii x calcicola hybrid produced a seed this season as did a couple of cordubensis x rupicola. My 12/1JA (cordubensis x rupicola) set so much seed I now wonder whether the plant is true to pedigree or whether open pollinated seedlings from nearby have established themselves in the clumps. A few seeds were also collected from fernandesii x triandrus but I am sceptical about this also and have separated out the bulb for confirmation. I have found there to be a strong fertility barrier between these groups. The rare exceptions will be interesting, particularly if these seeds prove to be diploid and themselves fertile. I noted Steve Vinisky’s report (February 18 and April 19, 2013) of a fertile assoanus x fernandesii hybrid. Fernandesii again, and this time with a species from the juncifolia group. All my crosses of this type (not many) have been sterile as are flowers such as Chit Chat. Steve’s result is remarkable and very interesting.
Fernandesii seems to be an unusual plant and no doubt this will please John Blanchard – “I cannot help feeling that it is unfortunate that he is not commemorated by a more distinct species.” If anyone has 15 years to spare perhaps the following is possible: fernandesii x watieri crossed with fernandesii x Edgedin Gold type, and the progeny then crossed with main division W-O and W-P.
I’m only a 5 year veteran in hybridizing but willing to advance daffodil breeding with any ideas from the more experience breeders. I flowered my 1st bloom last spring and have big hopes for my 1,000 or o 4 year seedlings. I purchased watieri and fernandesii from Steve Vininski (Thanks Steve) last year and wondered what I should do with species daffodils. Now I have some ideas.
I’m only 55 so I hope I’ve got time to advance daffodil breeding before I kick the bucket. 1st question is how do I get Edgedin Gold Type. (and what is an Edgedin Gold type).
My wife Teri and I had the best vacation this Oct visiting NZ breeders. Stayed with Graham Philips and met Graham Miller, John McLennan, and John Hunter. I hope some day to be as known in the daffodil world as these guys.
We had such a good time in NZ we hope to go back soon. Maybe next time we should check out your neck of the woods? Does Australia have anything to see that NZ does not offer?
Hi Bill,
I nearly split my sides laughing when I read “Does Australia have anything to see that NZ does not offer?” I hope the New Zealanders start a thread on the subject.
In the last 10 or 20 years jonquilla have appeared that have white-ish petals. I called them Edgedin Gold types because I thought Steve was the first to register this type. I was wrong. It appears Walter Blom was. You can find them under the color code 7W/Y-Y.
The point of my recipe was to get white petals into the jonquil genetics in the hope that through fernandesii this might give better 7W-O and 7W-P. Whether fernandesii can bring watieri white across into the jonquilla group is doubtful but it may be worth a try. A very few crosses suggests that, not surprisingly, the 7W/Y-Y’s form sterile hybrids in the way jonquilla does so the point of crossing it with fernandesii is to try to get the color of one and the fertility of the other. Of course the whitish color in these jonquilla may not even be useful.
Glad you took my Aussie dig with a laugh. After spending 3 weeks in NZ it just felt like the thing to do. Seems to be some rivalry going on. Australia is on my bucket list and I will plan to give your country a fair shake on my next vacation south of the equator.