A few interesting plants have set seed this year further confirming the potential of intersectional bulbocodium hybrids.
There was an unfortunate mistake planting the 2011 seedlings. They were shallow planted because it was late and some had sprouted. The dry soil didn’t absorb moisture quickly enough and the bulbs rose and floated out of their grid position. The list of ways things can go wrong is a long one. They were re-positioned, hopefully without any errors.
A couple of new fully fertile hybrids set seed. This was expected from 14/13MB =10/04MB selfed, 10/04MB being fully fertile.
It was not expected from 14/05MB = 09/14MB OP.
09/14MB is a partially fertile seedling from Gold Step OP.
The Gold Step x bulbocodiums show some pollen fertility and so, as one would hope, some also set seed.
13/42MB (= Gold Step x bulbocodium) from last year is proving to be a reliable seeder.
A mass of Gold Step x (N. fernandesii x Redlands Too) were deliberately pollinated but, as was the case last year, only one seed was produced and it was OP in the field.
I claimed last year that 13/31MB = bulbocodium x Parton 2O-O was fertile. This year it has proven the point by setting seed.
14/38Mb = Gold Step x (Entente x Scarlet Chord) has semi-confirmed my hope that this type of hybrid, some of which have significant pollen fertility, will also set seed.
Some seed was gathered from the (Gold Step x fertile triandrus hybrid) seedlings but since these were the main success in triandrus breeding I’ll show them there.
Lawrence,
Your fertile bulbocodium crosses are really a breakthroug. Obviously you are successful in getting seeds from Alfriston x N. bulbocodium and N. bulbocodium x Parton. Can you produce more seeds with bulbocodium as pollen parent or as seed parent for these crosses, do you use the same bulbocodium clone, and do you think it is hexaploid or tetraploid?
Theo
Hi Theo,
You ask really good questions.
13/31MB is 03/167B x Parton seedling. They are in last year’s post: http://daffnet.org/fertility-update-div-10/
My records say 03_167B is (obesus x foliosus?) x (serotinus x mesatlanticus). This makes an interesting ploidy very possible. Apparently I still have it and also a sibling and some selections from their seedlings. There is a strong family resemblance. I have no photo or recollection of the seed parent. I’m not convinced the pollen parent is correct, but certainly these plants tend to be late.
The pollen parent of the fully fertile 13_22MB that is also in last year’s post is apparently (serotinus x mesatlanticus) x viriditubus MS411. I think we can presume that the cross is not true and it is (serotinus x mesatlanticus) selfed or OP. Apparently I still have this bulbocodium too.
I have obsessed about ploidy in other sections, but the bulbocodiums have always seemed too complicated and too ready to set seed to bother. I have not followed up on successes because success is so rare and I imagine the result is due to chance rather than uniquely good parents. I checked my original notes and apparently I tried 8 different main division flowers on 03/167B. I note that last year I may have had success with Hawley Rose x bulbocodium, both pollen parents having serotinus in them. I don’t recall choosing these bulbocodiums because of their pedigrees – I expect I just chose solid bulbocodiums. I expect some of the seeds and bulbs on my list last year may give good results.
So to answer you question. I would guess that the bulbocodiums are tetraploid and I have not supposed them to be special enough to try and get more successes from them.
I recall the pollen parent of Gold Step was an ordinary (?) bulbocodium that I had tried to artificially tetraploid. I have never thought I succeeded and I assume that Gold Step is triploid – 2 parts narcissus/pseudonarcissus and 1 part bulbocodium. I don’t have this bulbocodium any more.
Lawrence is your “serotinus” above, really N. serotinus or N. miniatus?
Also does 13_31MB have an orange cast to the corona or is it the camera?
I put N. romieuxi x N. cantabricus on Gold Step. Now to see if we can get any seeds?
I like your hybrids I think you have some excellent breakthroughs here.
Harold
Oops. I suppose you meant bulbocodium bulbocodium serotinus.
H
Thanks Harold.
Yes I did mean N.b.b.serotinus. I was so immersed in the topic I didn’t notice the ambiguity.
A really interesting question, I think, is the pollen parent of 13/42MB because this looks like a very promising parent. The pollen parent is meant to be 07/114B but this bulbocodium is an all-yellow mostly from conspicuus but also obesus. The next most likely parent is 00/39B 10W-W (off white) which is (Nylon x ‘Atlas’) x monophyllus. The monophyllus was a superb tall solid specimen I obtained from Marie Parton. It is also in the parentage of Gaddle Qua, Muvmuv and Fwav. I think you can expect seeds (not many, just a few per pod) and good results from your cross.
13_31MB is definitely orange but not strongly so.