The daffodil season is almost at its end here – after an extremely mild winter as early as never before. Even several poeticus varieties in flower!
picture 1: various small cupped seedlings
picture 2: Elizabeth Ann x Fairy Magic in the foreground, Foundling x (Mary Lou x Kildavin) behind
Picture 3: Brian Duncan`s lovely little “Cerisita”
Please, excuse the quality of the pictures and have a happy Easter
All looking lovely Petra. Great to see.
Thank you Dave, your fields will look even greater i think!
I find your pictures and crosses very interesting. I have not tried making crosses using ‘Elizabeth Ann’ and ‘Mary Lou’
as I thought they were sterile diploids but you have had success as seed parents – or did you use the pollen of these varieties?
You have stimulated me to try now as all are in bloom just now. Indeed yesterday I made crosses with ‘Lilac Charm’ and ‘Kaydee’
that are also probably triploids – ‘Lilac Charm never yielded more than 2-3 seeds when used as a seed parent.
Despite these comments I should say that from Elizabeth Ann x Brian Duncan I have a couple of children that I’m very proud of.
I should re-read what I write – diploids should read triploids !
Petra, I’ve enjoyed the photos of your seedlings. Thank you for posting some weekly blooms. It helps us all get through these unusual times.
Mary Lou
Mary Lou and Brian – I am really glad you liked the pictures!
Brian – your Elizabeth Ann and Lilac Charm are moderately fertile usually giving 5 to 10 seeds from each capsule as far as i remember. And both have fertile pollen, too. Mary Lou is an even more shy seeder but it can produce seed in optimum conditions and can give nice seedlings of really short growth. Only these have not been vigorous so far with me to my regret. Maybe I had not sufficient seed from Mary Lou so I don`t want to generalize. I have never seen pollen on May Lou, the stamens seem to be dry as soon as flowers open.
Most of these seedlings were sadly lost 8 years ago in extreme late frosts. That is a great pity because some appeared quite uniqe to me.
These seedlings came from Lilac Charm x Chelsea Girl, Mary Lou x Kildavin, Elizabeth Ann x Fairy Magic (3)
Only 2 are still existing, 3 of them were destroyed by frosts 8 years ago.
In DaffSeek i just saw that Lilac Charm and Elizabeth Ann have 27 chromosomes and Mary Lou 28, so they are tetraploid or near so as are most garden daffodils. Only their smaller and graceful habit gives the impression they are triploids as Jenny and her sisters i think.
seedling “Mary Lou x Kildavin” is not vigorous with me but it is as short as it´s seed parent and fertile both ways. Many years ago i gave some bulbs to Nial Watson because of his interest in true intermediates.
Thanks Petra – nice seedlings and good information ref. chromosomes – I should have known that !!
I might still have a few bubs of your beautiful “my favorite but lost” variety Petra.
If this one is the same one as you gave me years ago, they are still here.
Carlos – thanks a lot for your offer, I am happy you remember!
The seedling I once sent to you is a sister seedling to the one pictured and it was the most vigorous among the more beautiful ones of the cross. This one was among the lost ones, too.
I would be happy if there is a way to get one or two bulbs back from you!