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Cultivar corner.
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Web sites
(Services) Databases (Evaluation) Ornamental horticulture (Methods) Hybridization, Vegetable (Varieties) Hybridization, Vegetable (Growth) Bromeliaceae (Varieties) Bromeliaceae (Growth) |
| Author: | Butcher, Derek |
| Pub Date: | 07/01/2008 |
| Publication: | Name: Journal of the Bromeliad Society Publisher: Bromeliad Society International Audience: Academic Format: Magazine/Journal Subject: Biological sciences Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2008 Bromeliad Society International ISSN: 0090-8738 |
| Issue: | Date: July-August, 2008 Source Volume: 58 Source Issue: 4 |
| Topic: | Event Code: 360 Services information Computer Subject: Company Web site/Web page; CD-ROM catalog; CD-ROM database; Database; Company growth |
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| Accession Number: | 191311777 |
| Full Text: |
I am encouraged by the number who do visit Cultivar Corner in the
http://bsi.org website. This means you will be interested in the latest
innovation. You will no doubt have read about the concept of Cultivar
Groups which has taken over from the grex concept that applies solely to
Orchidaceae. The grex concept is based on parentage but the Cultivar
Group is based on visible similarities irrespective of alleged
parentage. Hidden in the two Cultivar databases are some 40 Cultivar Groups. Anybody can find them out by entering Group in the Cultivar name field and press 'Search'! When you have found out which Cultivar Group you want to look at you have the re-enter the name, this time in the Cultivar Group field. Mike Andreas has come up with a solution with a scrolldown of names of Cultivar Groups. If you are aware of any Cultivar that is missing from a group please let the Registrar know. We are hopeful that this will be used by hybridists to help them decide if their new super duper hybrid is really different. Talking of differences there is a problem that any person growing neoregelia hybrids from seed will have to face. How different is different? The days of species crossed with species have long gone. We know that a species evolves in the wild by crossing and backcrossing over several centuries until you get a fairly stable population. Neoregelia growers are well down the track of converting different species to a look-alike fairly stable population in say 50 years! The problem seems to be that hybrid crossed hybrid is very prevalent. Even the same results can come from just harvesting seed from a neoregelia hybrid. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Hybridists seem to have lost the plot where a hybridist should have goals as to what sort of plant he wants to achieve. He/she should be ruthless with plants not up to scratch. We know that commercial pressures means that those not quite up to scratch will be sold anyway, named or not. Another solution could be widening the views as to what is different. The 9 plants illustrated above came from the same grex. There were many more in the grex but we would run out of space! With my Registrar's hat off, I consider they could all have the same name, in that they all share white to yellow blotches on wide reddish leaves, taking into consideration the variations you will get with offsets. The hybridist considered 9 different names. Work out for yourself where the 'correct' answer lies. I don't think there is a correct answer but it is one that must be decided by the hybridist alone. All who grow neoregelia from seed will have this King Solomon problem! Just remember that there is a great responsibility on any person bringing a new plant into this world. |
| Gale Copyright: | Copyright 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. |
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