"Selfing" Hybrids

[Pete]

This may be a very stupid question. Can you self a hybrid or novelty phalaenopsis and get viable seed?

The basis for my question is that hybrids in many life forms are sterile.


Thanks.

[PaphMadMan]

Originally Posted by Pete

This may be a very stupid question. Can you self a hybrid or novelty phalaenopsis and get viable seed?

The basis for my question is that hybrids in many life forms are sterile.


Thanks.

Most orchid hybrids are fertile to at least some extent, and they can be selfed with little or no problem. There are exceptions, but usually hybrids within a genus, like Phalaenopsis, are quite fertile. Some intergeneric hybrids have more problems.

[Royal]

Yup, most hybrids with even ploidy (2n or 4n) should be self-fertile.

The animal kingdom and the plant kingdom really play by different rules when it comes to sexual reproduction. While fertile offspring from an animal hybrid is very rare, it happens all the time with plants.

[Tindomul]

Originally Posted by Pete

The basis for my question is that hybrids in many life forms are sterile.


Thanks.

Plants break this rule, a lot!!!
You really have to have two distantly related plant species to not make a viable hybrid. So for the most part it should work.