Pod vs pollen parent when breeding xanthic orchids

[Andrew]

I’m assuming that most people on this forum don’t hybridise Pterostylis but I would think this question is applicable for other genera. Can anyone with experience breeding xanthic orchids, or albas for that matter, tell me how important plastids/mitochondria are in maintaining the yellow colour/losing the red colour? I know the carotene production involves chloroplasts but I don’t really know how much of the anthocyanin/flavonol production pathway involves genes from the plastids.

I have a xanthic Pterostylis concinna (the normal form is here ) that I have crossed/looking to cross with some of the larger, redder species like coccina and hamiltonii with the aim of selfing the F1 and hopefully getting some F2’s that are (a) larger and (b) have the red coloured areas in the larger parent’s flowers replaced with yellow. From there I aim to backcross and self to keep the colour and increase the size further so I have some a number of large yellow greenhoods for future hybrids. I have hedged my bets by doing reciprocal crosses of the crosses involved but given that will mean I need a lot more space to grow out seedlings I’d like some idea of whether it’s worth paying attention to which plants I’m using as pod parents on the basis of colour?

Andrew