Although I've tried with the few "ball" type Alliums, such as A. giganteum, A. jesdianum, A. christoffii, A. schubertii and their possible hybrids (Lucille Ball, Globemaster, hollandicum, etc), I've never managed to set seed through intrageneric pollination. I've found all the named cultivars I have to be sterile. Of course, this is a limited group! Is anyone working with Allium? I remember a wonderful article in the IBS BULBS on A. flavum cultivars. It would be interesting to have a page of hybrids, even without their parentage! We do need to assure they are posted as hybrids of unknown origin to prevent confusion. Jamie V. Cologne ----- Original Message ----- From: <Antennaria@aol.com> To: <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> Sent: Sunday, November 09, 2003 10:25 PM Subject: Re: [pbs] Hybrids > > I find that sterility among Allium species to be a rarity, not something that > "often" occurs. > > Example: I have numerous forms of Allium schoenoprasum, and in two forms they > seem to be "nearly" sterile and produce precious little seed, but most forms > of chives produce masses of seed. All the forms interbreed readily. > > Apomixis is certainly known within the genus (the ability to produce seed > asexually), so that can be a factor. > > Weather conditions can be the appearance of certain species not being > fertile. In a few years, if it's dry enough, the Melanocrommyum section of Allium > will produce lots of seed, but there are many years in a row where they fail to > set a single seed among many species (this year was such a year, way too much > way and tropical downpours). > > A few of the named "big ball" hybrids, such as the famous 'Globe Master" > (macleanii x cristophii), are reportedly sterile, the claim largely borne out in > my experience. To see this allium, here's a wiki picture showing a young > inflorescence: > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/files/… g > > But one thing I do know, my garden is FULL of Allium hybrid seedlings, and > the range of possibilties seems to grow each year. Many species freely > hybridize with one another, most often among similar sections of the genus, such as > among the Rhiziridium alliums angulosum, senescens, nutans, rubens. Surprising > hybrids among more distant species, such as between the American cernuum and > stellatum with the European and Asian nutans, senescens, and rubens, fire up > the imagination. There are no shortage of hybrids here. > > Mark McDonough Pepperell, Massachusetts, United States > antennaria@aol.com "New England" USDA Zone 5 > ============================================== > >> web site under construction - http://www.plantbuzz.com/ << > alliums, bulbs, penstemons, hardy hibiscus, western > american alpines, iris, plants of all types! > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php >