Daffodils in the Southern Hemisphere - 2007

[Maggi Young]

apomixis

Thanks, Martin.... I was floundering with a soundalike that affects rabbits!

This may help: http://www.apomixis.de/back.htm

[mark smyth]

something similar happens with Sorbus hibernica. The ovary needs a pollen grain to start to grow towards the ?ovule. It then rushes ahead and forms a seed before the grain arrives in the ovary

[Mini-daffs]

 
Hi
Anne, my article will tell you how to avoid the problems associated with triploids. You have seen our shadehouse photos. Not a triploid to be seen!! Ours is a diploid world!!  But we do some breeding with triploids and tetraploids and that is where the unreduced gametes come in. Our coloured miniatures are from tetraploids in most cases.

[Martin Baxendale]

Graham, it sounds like your article on narcissus breeding could be of great interest to me too. I rely heavily on such writings for guidance in my snowdrop breeding as there's almost nothing known yet about the genetics and breeding patterns of snowdrops (apart from the identification of some hybrids as triploids, which poses serious problems - and no tertraploids to speak of, which causes further problems).

[annew]

Thanks, everyone. Problems with virus occur when I buy in bulbs of some old varieties, and they do end up in the bin, but I was wondering if you thought seed or pollen could be safely harvested first.
I've noticed selfing when trying to use N. watieri as a seed parent - whether this is apomixis, or a function of the close proximity of the stigma and the stamens in the tube, I'm not sure. This year I split the tube as soon as the bud started to open and before the anthers dehisced to keep the pollen away from the stigma to see if that would work. It's very frustrating to wait 3 or 4 years to find out all the seedlings are watieri!
Yes, Martin, I do have that booklet - I'd better have another look!

[Lesley Cox]

I couldn't cope with trigonometry at school, either

I've read the article in the link above, and would like to ask, where does cleistogamy fit in with this - if at all?

[Martin Baxendale]

Anne, some of us had an exchange of info on virus in pollen and seeds over the last couple of days in the 'Tulip Virus' thread under 'Bulbs General'. I think you'll find some of the answers you're looking for there.

[Martin Baxendale]

Sorry, Anne - also meant to say that I try to avoid using pollen from virused bulbs on healthy bulbs just in case. But of course you can use virused bulbs as seed parents and the seeds will most likely be virus free and produce virus-free bulbs. As you'll see from the 'Tulip Virus' thread, it used to be thought that seeds don't carry virus, so always produce virus-free plants and bulbs - but now it seems research has shown that, in some conditions some seeds can carry virus. But with most bulbs that I'm aware of, I think you'll generally get at least mostly virus-free seedlings from seed of plants with virus. It's certainly worth trying.

[Mini-daffs]

Lesley, don't think cleistogamy fits in with daffodils at all.
Cleistogamy describes the trait of certain plants to propagate by using non-opening, self-pollinating flowers. Especially in peanuts, peas, and beans...
If your daffodils don't open then you certainly have a problem but it is a different sort of one to getting them to set seed from a different parent.
Anne, pollinating apodanthe requires all the skill of a surgeon. Hence the very fine German forceps that I use. Dr Reed in the US is an emergency doctor and he uses a fancy pair of forceps. He is very adept at pollinating. He harvests about 50,000 seeds a year. We have quite a few triandus where the pistil is way down the tube so surgery is required to hand pollinate them as well.
I can assure you that after your first 100,000 seeds start to flower, whether a particular cross works or not is not all that significant. Our biggest year was when we harvested well over 50,000 seeds. These days I am comfortable with about 15,000.

[tonyg]

It's very frustrating to wait 3 or 4 years to find out all the seedlings are watieri!

If you dont want them I can give them a good home

I have raised and flowered N watieri from seed but I find it difficult to keep.  Do you have any specific tips, its likes/dislikes?

[Mini-daffs]

Hi Tony
Best way to keep it alive is to keep it very dry in summer and grow it in a nice sandy mix so it is well drained. Bit like NTT in this regard. Grows well for us outdoors but then it is hot and dry (what is rain?) here most of the time these days.

[Lesley Cox]

I wasn't connecting cleistogamy to daffs but wondered about in general, if it was a similar process to apomixis

[Paul T]

Mmmmmmm daffodils!!!!!  Had a lovely fix of miniature narcissus, plus other larger ones and camellias and other plants today.  Some of Graham's stuff is absolutely To Die For!!  There is the most adorable miniature form of tenuifolius which is the most perfect hoop petticoat daff but less than a cm across.  Truly adorable.  Then there were the Narcissus triandrus triandrus hybrids, and the apodanthe hybrids, and the...... all so very yum!!

I have serious issus with envy now.  I want one of all of them!! 

[Mini-daffs]

 
Hi
A few photos from the Show.
It is a difficult venue to take good photos at so it may not be until after the Show that it is possible to take good photos of some of the flowers exhibited. I need to retake photos of the Grand Champion bulbocodium and the other nice bicolor bulbocodium from the Show. It is the first Show in Canberra where miniatures have prevailed to win the major trophies.

[annew]

Well, it isn't Leslie, so is it Paul? I've always had my suspicions that he hasn't got 4 legs and white fur.
Lovely daffs by the way!