We have Sternbergia lutea. Plants came from Tblisi Botanical Garden; Consevation Section. Jim Ault has tried to cross-pollinate the two dozen or so plants without success. We have attributed the failures to our harsh winters but perhaps there is another reason? Boyce Tankersley Chicago Botanic Garden 1000 Lake Cook Road Glencoe, IL 60022 -----Original Message----- From: pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Jim McKenney Sent: Monday, December 18, 2006 9:21 AM To: 'Pacific Bulb Society' Subject: Re: [pbs] Sternbergia DNA Ben Zonneveld mentioned something which might be the answer to a question which has long puzzled me. He mentioned a triploid Sternbergia lutea. I've never known Sternbergia lutea to set seed. I have long suspected that the Sternbergia lutea of gardens is triploid. And furthermore I have often wondered if it is one of those plants of garden origin which does not correspond exactly to any known wild plant. So here is the question which arises: are there any populations of the broad-leaf form of Sternbergia commonly known as S. lutea which set seed, which correspond to sexually reproducing populations? Did this broad-leaf garden form arise as a hybrid between a narrow leafed form such as the ones often called sicula and some other broad leafed species such as S. clusiana? Jim McKenney jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7 My Virtual Maryland Garden http://www.jimmckenney.com/ Webmaster Potomac Valley Chapter, NARGS Editor PVC Bulletin http://www.pvcnargs.org/ Webmaster Potomac Lily Society http://www.potomaclilysociety.org/ _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.ibiblio.org http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php