The Orchid Garden

Varietal question

Question:

Should you cross speciosum v. grandiflorum with speciosum v. grandiflorum, the offspring should be v. grandiflorum. However…  The problem with varieties is a) they aren’t that different from the type species (or they would be species themselves) and b) the names tend to proliferate in the absence of publication.  B is more a problem than a.  Some varieties are validly published, some just sort of appear in catalogs for what I’m sure are perfectly respectable reasons which have nothing to do with selling overpriced plants to collectors…  Also, in the "good old days", say the 19th century and early 20th, it was common to use ‘variety’ in the same way that we would use a clonal name today.  Just be careful out there, boys. Anyway, depending on how ‘good’ a variety is and what traits you are looking at, you should get a reasonably uniform population of progeny from either a selfing, sibbing, or an outcross to the same variety.  If you outcross to another variety, you are technically making a hybrid, although it doesn’t seem to make the RHS radar screen.  I think the only thing to do in that case would be to label the progeny either (var A x var B) or just give it the species name with out any variety names. Rob I was meaning more dealing with say Dendrobium speciosum var grandiflorum Will the offspring of the cross all be var. grandiflorum or will there be a spread???

Rob’s Rules:           http://www.msu.edu/~halgren   1) There is always room for one more orchid   2) There is always room for two more orchids      2a. See rule 1   3) When one has insufficient credit to purchase      more orchids, obtain more credit

Response:

Thanks… Essenially that was what I was trying to figure out. Kye. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Kye, If I’m not mistaken, a selfing or outcross in that case would give 100% of the variety.  Not to say that they would all be great, as you will always get some genetic variation in sexual reproduction. There are some taxonomists out there that see such varieties as distinct species, and therefore "must" breed true. — Ray Barkalow < First Rays Orchids http://www.firstrays.com Secure Online Ordering & Lots of Free Info! I was meaning more dealing with say Dendrobium speciosum var grandiflorum Will the offspring of the cross all be var. grandiflorum or will there be a spread??? Kye. Kye, When you say varietal, are you referring to plants that have a specific named clone, such as Oncidium Sharry Baby ‘Sweet Fragrance’ AM/AOS? If so, then the answer is "no," While a division or clone of it is still Oncidium Sharry Baby ‘Sweet Fragrance’ AM/AOS, a selfing or cross of two different ‘SF’s will yield Oncidium Sharry Baby, but not the specific named variety. — Ray Barkalow < First Rays Orchids http://www.firstrays.com Secure Online Ordering & Lots of Free Info! When you self or outcross a Varietal plant, does it always breed true??? Kye.

Response:

I was meaning more dealing with say Dendrobium speciosum var grandiflorum Will the offspring of the cross all be var. grandiflorum or will there be a spread??? Kye. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Kye, When you say varietal, are you referring to plants that have a specific named clone, such as Oncidium Sharry Baby ‘Sweet Fragrance’ AM/AOS? If so, then the answer is "no," While a division or clone of it is still Oncidium Sharry Baby ‘Sweet Fragrance’ AM/AOS, a selfing or cross of two different ‘SF’s will yield Oncidium Sharry Baby, but not the specific named variety. — Ray Barkalow < First Rays Orchids http://www.firstrays.com Secure Online Ordering & Lots of Free Info! When you self or outcross a Varietal plant, does it always breed true??? Kye.

Response:

Kye, If I’m not mistaken, a selfing or outcross in that case would give 100% of the variety.  Not to say that they would all be great, as you will always get some genetic variation in sexual reproduction. There are some taxonomists out there that see such varieties as distinct species, and therefore "must" breed true. — Ray Barkalow < First Rays Orchids http://www.firstrays.com Secure Online Ordering & Lots of Free Info!

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I was meaning more dealing with say Dendrobium speciosum var grandiflorum Will the offspring of the cross all be var. grandiflorum or will there be a spread??? Kye. Kye, When you say varietal, are you referring to plants that have a specific named clone, such as Oncidium Sharry Baby ‘Sweet Fragrance’ AM/AOS? If so, then the answer is "no," While a division or clone of it is still Oncidium Sharry Baby ‘Sweet Fragrance’ AM/AOS, a selfing or cross of two different ‘SF’s will yield Oncidium Sharry Baby, but not the specific named variety. — Ray Barkalow < First Rays Orchids http://www.firstrays.com Secure Online Ordering & Lots of Free Info! When you self or outcross a Varietal plant, does it always breed true??? Kye.

Response:

When you self or outcross a Varietal plant, does it always breed true??? Kye.

Response:

Kye, When you say varietal, are you referring to plants that have a specific named clone, such as Oncidium Sharry Baby ‘Sweet Fragrance’ AM/AOS? If so, then the answer is "no," While a division or clone of it is still Oncidium Sharry Baby ‘Sweet Fragrance’ AM/AOS, a selfing or cross of two different ‘SF’s will yield Oncidium Sharry Baby, but not the specific named variety. — Ray Barkalow < First Rays Orchids http://www.firstrays.com Secure Online Ordering & Lots of Free Info!

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – When you self or outcross a Varietal plant, does it always breed true??? Kye.

Response:

Filed under: Dendrobium Orchid

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