Arisaema hybrids

[Bonaventure W Magrys]

Adam Fisko writes : "Fl and F2 generations are very different animals.
>One cannot breed better plants through selection if the genetic
>possibilities are not there to begin with.   In this case, they must be
>either brought in from outside,"
Yes Adam, but there is line breeding or selection of characteristics that
segregate differently. For example, in orchids, a large, well shaped but
drably or commonly colored flower (species) is bred with a small, poorly
shaped, but brilliantly colored flower (species). These are often even
seperate genera. Selective crossing of the progeny, and back-breeding over
many generations gives a large well shaped and brilliantly colored flower
(hybrid). Definitely not in the F1 generation.

I hope that I am not overextending these possibilities to the Araceae (oh
yeah, did I mention Anthurium previously?)

Barry Yinger writes: "Quite a few wild "species" (remember that this is
strictly a human
concept, not a plant concept) hybridize freely in the wild in disturbed
habitats and resegregate as "species" in settled, stable habitats.
Oaks and violets commonly do this, along with at least certain species
in many other genera."
I think it was Dr.Charles Sheviak who not too long ago published an article
on Asian Cypripediums in which he observed that the natural hybrid C. x
ventricosum, or more specifically some of its introgressed forms with C.
calceolus, resembles the North American C. pubescens complex than does the
Eurasian C. calceolus.
In North America this complex has evolved into several distinct, though
often interbreeding, species.

Again from Barry:"I think that all
taxonomists should be required to spend two years in a Buddhist
monastery, preferably in Thailand where they will have to beg for their
food." Barry, you should send this to some of the orchid e-lists and see
how the taxonomists, who made others stomach their flame-wars, can take it!
(Sorry Wilbert, you're OK!!)

Bonaventure W. Magrys
Research Assistant
Center for Neuroscience
Department of Graduate Medical Education
NJ Neuroscience Institute/Seton Hall University
400 South Orange Avenue
South Orange, NJ  07079
(732) 310-7039

magrysbo at shu.edu