Heresy warning: A new Lachenalia hybrid

Michael Mace michaelcmace@gmail.com
Fri, 25 Jan 2013 21:20:22 PST
If you are a species purist, you should cover your eyes and move on to the
next message.

 

Several years ago I got ambitious and tried making several Lachenalia hybrid
crosses. They're very difficult to do because many Lachenalia flowers are
tubes with all the reproductive parts hidden inside. To make a cross you
have to dissect the flower and remove the anthers, without letting them drop
any pollen on the stigma. It would be a tricky task at any angle, but
imagine doing it when lying on the ground sideways so you can get close to
the flower.

 

Anyway, one of the crosses set seed, and they just bloomed for the first
time.  It's Lachenalia viridiflora x L. aloides aloides (L. tricolor). L.
viridifora is an amazing translucent turquoise color, while L. aloides is
yellow-orange with magenta tips.  Cross the two and you get something pretty
weird: turquoise shoulders, lemon yellow tube, and magenta tips.

 

You can see some photos here:

 

http://growingcoolplants.blogspot.com/2013/01/…

 

Mike

San Jose, CA




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