pollen request

[Diane Whitehead]

I would be grateful for some pollen from some yellow snowdrops
that I could use to pollinate my five clones of poculiform elwesii.

I figure that is the easiest way to introduce yellow into Canada. I
expect to get some yellow petal marks in the first generation, though
it will take a while to see some yellow ovaries.

[Paul T]

Diane,

Does that mean that the two types are related (i.e that the poculiform have yellow genes)?  Or is it just that the poculiform don't have any markings so you're figuring that yellow markings will be the strongest chance of being expressed?  I hope you don't mind me asking.... just intrigued.  I've had no luck with the couple of yellow types I have tried...... haven't survived for me despite the majority of the rest doing brilliantly.  I do have some yellow seeds sown this spring from the UK, so here's hoping that they'll eventuate something that is yellow and grows for me!! 

[Diane Whitehead]

Yes to your second question.

I'm hoping that the lack of markings on the poc will allow yellow
marks to show in the first generation.

That won't necessarily happen, though.  The lack of markings
may mean that there is a "green marks" gene turned off by some
modifying gene and it could get turned on again if the modifier
doesn't get passed along to the seedlings.

[Paul T]

You've also got green ovaries on the poculiformis as well haven't you.... and usually the yellow markings are linked with a yellow colouration to the ovary..... so even though they don't express the green markings they still have the green ovary and therefore the inherent green marking (if you know what I am trying to say).  It'll be fascinating to see what your results are, just to see what the poculiformis seedlings actually look like anyway. 

[Diane Whitehead]

There's an interesting number of combinations possible.

And I think you are right about the link - I don't recall
seeing any pictures of snowdrops with different coloured
ovary and marks.

I have some with olive-green rather than bright green, but
you are right - both marks and ovary are the same colour.

[Paul T]

Diane,

Maybe if you're able to get sufficient pollen you can try some pollen on your olive green varieties as well, given they are already naturally paler than their brethren?  Depends how much pollen you get I guess!!    The poculiformis types fascinate me a little, although I have never seen one in person.  They look so much like the Leucojum (now Acis) that I have to chuckle as the name Snowdrop is so often applied to those in error instead of Snowflakes.  The Poculiformus types are sort of like a bridge that muddies the waters!! 

[Diane Whitehead]

That's a good idea.

And I should also cross a couple of the pocs together to get some seeds to
send you, if you'd like.

[Diane Whitehead]

I've just looked through my pictures, and I do have one snowdrop
with marks of two different colours.  Well, I had it two years ago,
but when I tried to find it last year, I couldn't.

So there doesn't seem to be an invariable colour match.

[KentGardener]

I have some with olive-green rather than bright green, but
you are right - both marks and ovary are the same colour.

Ah, but there is always an exception to the rule.  There is one called 'blond inge' that has green ovary, but with yellow markings on the flower.  I don't have a photo, but perhaps someone does have one they could post.

John

 

[Martin Baxendale]

Diane, I'll see if I can get some spare pollen from my yellows, but in my experience the yellows especially produce very little pollen (no idea why) and I can't pick the yellow flowers to bring indoors as I pollinate them all to get seed (very little seed, as they're not great seed producers either) also I tend to use what little pollen I get from the yellows.

It'd be so much easier if snowdrops had whopping great stamens full of pollen like daffs and lilies, and great big stigmas too, to take loads of pollen. Trying to do crosses with miniscule amounts of pollen and tiny little stigmas that won't hold more than a few grains of pollen leads to constant disappointment. That's why I've tried to increase my stocks of the best triploids by chipping, to give me more pollen  and more stigmas to work with. But it's still a struggle.

[mark smyth]

I would say yellow is recessive and that's why in the wild there arent too many even when they occur within groups of normal snowdrops much the same as a yellow or blue budgie flying in Australia isnt common

[Diane Whitehead]

Some of the poculiform elwesii I have seen here have deformed anthers.
Life can be hard for a mutant.

[Diane Whitehead]

You're right about other plants having lots more pollen.  Catalogues
extol the virtues of "pollen free" lilies and sunflowers.  I don't know
whether they are making a virtue of a defect - to me, such plants
are a dead end.  You can tell a lily breeder - he's the one with yellow
hair.

[Maggi Young]

Life can be hard for a mutant.

Yes, life is hard... and then everything changes........

Catalogues extol the virtues of "pollen free" lilies and sunflowers.  I don't know
whether they are making a virtue of a defect - to me, such plants are a dead end.

I think the only people interested in pollen free variants of flowers must be the florists who get folks moaning about pollen stains from cut flowers.... how could having pollen ever be a disadvantage in a garden situation ?  Mind you, i do enjoy a seedless grape