My granddaughter noticed that a couple of pots of Nerine were different - bigger flowers and two broader leaves.
I assume they are xAmarine, a hybrid between Amaryllis belladonna and a Nerine.
Are they fertile?
Hello Diane,
I grow several different X Amarine of the Belladiva series which do very well here. I have tried to pollinate but so far no seed set for several years. I wonder if it could be a chromosome problem?
Bye for now
Uli
Online sources suggest that both Amaryllis and Nerine have 2n=22 chromosomes, so hybrids would be expected to be fertile.
But nothing in life is guaranteed......................
Quote from: Uli on October 17, 2022, 01:06:28 PMI grow several different X Amarine of the Belladiva series which do very well here. I have tried to pollinate but so far no seed set for several years. I wonder if it could be a chromosome problem?
same for me (including the fact that one specimen actually has proven hardy and flowering in the open garden - it figures, as both
Nerine bowdenii and
Amaryllis belladonna are borderline hardy here.) I also tried pollinating with the smaller nerines,
Nerine filifolia and
Nerine undulata. no seeds.
PS: I really have to figure out why the nerine site doesn't find propper Previews with the species-bbc
Triploid?
I have gotten seed crossing xAmarine with white Amaryllis belladonna. The problem is getting them to bloom at the same time.
Good! Have any of those back-crossed seedlings flowered yet?
Not yet, but I keep hoping that this is the year. I grew a Strelitzia nicolai from seed, and that took 11 years of saying, "Maybe next year". I also have my own crosses of Amaryllis x Nerines from the Exbury collection that I am waiting on.
Quote from: Wylie on October 20, 2022, 01:14:59 AMAmaryllis x Nerines from the Exbury collection
Now those will be interesting - I've only ever seen bowdenii-based crosses. We're expecting pictures once they're in flower!
I sent some of the bulbs to Uli a couple of years ago, so one of us will have some results soon, I hope.
My granddaughter found a couple more at the garden centre where she works.
Here is one, with 13 flowers.
xAmarine_.jpg