C. Hardyana (usual color)

[RosieC]

It's gorgeous!

I can understand though that if you wanted a particular colour you would be disapointed. But it's a gorgesous example of that colour.

[Rosim_in_BR]

Originally Posted by RosieC

It's gorgeous!

I can understand though that if you wanted a particular colour you would be disapointed. But it's a gorgesous example of that colour.

Rosie, color in Hardyana is an interesting point.
Here's the thing: Hardyana is a primary cross between the yellow Cattleya dowiana and the lavender C. warscewiczii. Yellow in Cattleyas is recessive when crossed with lavender. So, when you cross dowiana and warscewiczii all the progeny will be lavender (a yellow might appear, but this is extremely rare).
Let's make y=the recessive yellow pair of genes in dowiana and P=the dominat lavender pair of genes in warscewiczii:
dowiana warsc. Hardyana
yy x PP = yP, yP, Py, Py (all lavender)

Now, pick two (no matter what) lavender Hardyanas from the first generation up and cross them, let's say the first and the last:
Hard(F1) Hard(F1) Hardyana (F2)
yP x Py = yP, yy, PP, Py

You see, one out of four will be yellow, or light cream (yy). This is the only way one can be 100% sure of getting a yellow Hardyana.
It is interesting to notice that if two Hardyanas from the second generation (F2) are crossed the thing becomes a little more complicated. If you are lucky enough to pick up two plants representing the pairs yP+yy, yy+Py yellow will be produced in a higher proportion; if you pick up as parents yP+Py, the same 25% proportion as in the F1 will be produced, but if you pick up one of the three following cominations yP+PP, or yy+PP, or PP+Py no yellow will be produced, all the progeny will be lavender.
The same general mechanism works for selfing a Hardyana.

[Frdemetr]

Hi friends!

Thank you, very interesting infos! Mendelian vs. non-Mendelian genetics, and BOTH systems of inheritance are not mutually exclusive (if we look at "white", "yellow" and "intermediate" petals color).

Jan,

Sometimes a Mendelian model appears "polygenic" when some gene have incomplete penetrance and variable expressivity (I don't know this are the technical terms in english!). When I read Chadwick website infos I had that feeling...well, anyway thank you very much! And yes, I know Suamena C. Hardyana collection...I dream about it!! Unfortunately is not easy to import orchids (legaly) to Brazil, also I have written a few times for them (Suamena) and got no answer! Next time I'll write in "Portuñol", not in english, may be it works!