Ploidy and crossings What do you get?

[Ryan Young]

So i came across a book Breeding Dendrobium Orchids in Hawaii giving the ploidy cross experiment in a table.
(# in parentheses =# examined)

2n x 2n (45) 43/ 2n, 2/ 3n
4n x 4n (25) 25/ 4n
2n x 4n (37) 37/ 3n
4n x 2n (99) 99/ 3n
3n selfed (16) 1/ 3n, 2/ 3.5n, 13/ 4.5n
2n x 3n (40) 2/ 2.5n, 38/ 4n
3n x 2n (96) 96/ 4n
4n x 3n (13) 9/ 3.5n, 4/ 5n
3n x 4n (127) 111/ 3.5n, 16/ 5n

So my question is what would be the ploidy crossing say 5n with 2n 3n or 4n?

[Ben Belton]

I'm guessing you won't get it to work because the 5n will mess it all up. You def won't get a 3n to work as pollen parent.

[Ryan Young]

Im just curious as to what may happen i want to make a 4n x 3n and the 3n is a fertile parent ( C. Bow bells) and make some higher ploidy plants and see what may fertile afterwards.

[POLKA]

Howdy Ryan
I might take a stab later, but I would really like to know the name of the book, the author, and the ISBN number if you could, please.

I hope to do an article on the history of dendrobium (the grocery store type) for my local society newsletter.

Thanks
Rex W. Ulmer
Central East Texas Orchid Society
Tyler, Texas

[Ryan Young]

Originally Posted by POLKA

Howdy Ryan
I might take a stab later, but I would really like to know the name of the book, the author, and the ISBN number if you could, please.

I hope to do an article on the history of dendrobium (the grocery store type) for my local society newsletter.

Thanks
Rex W. Ulmer
Central East Texas Orchid Society
Tyler, Texas

Its hereb
http://www.cabdirect.org/abstracts/1...563EC2054A84C9

[POLKA]

Many Thanks!

R

[POLKA]

Well, I know a hybridizer who has successfully crossed 6n plants with diploid (2n) plants and got fertile 4n tetraploids that grew and bloomed correctly. I believe it was in cymbidiums, cattleyas, and phalaenopsis.

Odd numbers are difficult because the meiosis is never even.

Bow Bells, though thought to be 3n, might not be, and it seems to behave like 4n.

Interesting,...what is your source to Bow Bells? It is genuine piece of the original? Any remakes has shown that Bow Bells, great as it is, has a genealogy that isn't quite what the records show, and can't be remade using recorded parents. Not only that the Susanne Hye is also at the bottom of the sea, but there were other questions too. Only selfings of a genuine Bow Bells gets you any more Bow Bells. I've seen some south American remakes, and they don't even come close to the original.

Is your source clean? Old cultivars tend to pick up things (virus), and you will certainly want to use it as a pod parent, and dry pod it to the lab.

Take care
Looking forward to hearing about your exploit.

Rex

[POLKA]

thanks a million for the link!

r

[Ryan Young]

Welcome and Thanks for the info I'll look into it, was busy with some friends wedding last few days. The bow bells is most likely a Mericlone, so it will not be true as would a division, but with all experiments trial and error will tell. I agree dry pod seed would be the way to go. As for the cross wouldn't be anytime soon as they are not in bloom.
Im just scheming at this point.
Ryan

[Orchid Whisperer]

Hi Ryan
If it is a mericlone of Bow Bells, it will be as genetically identical as a division would be. This does not take into consideration the virus issues mentioned above by others.