Cpschult said:
It appears a lot of bearded/cristate plants are pollen sterile. Mike Derrow is having similar issues.
I'd love to hear if anyone else is noticing that trend with their hybrization trials with bearded/cristate genetics.
'Bee's Bettie Sue' is 'Joan Senior' x 'Barbara Mitchell' and is I believe pollen sterile.
'Michael's Sword' is 'Bee's Bettie Sue' x 'Lavender Blue Baby' and I believe is also pollen sterile.
Speculation:
That suggests that either the pollen sterility is "dominant" or that if it is "recessive" 'Lavender Blue Baby' also has the same mutation and may well be related (even if distantly) to either or both of 'Barbara Mitchell' or 'Joan Senior'.
There clearly has been inbreeding in the diploid Bee's Bettie Sue line. Inbreeding causes its own general decrease in fertility and increase in sterility but it also creates the opportunity for recessive genetic sterility to appear.
Inbreeding is probably being used by some to try to create more stability to the characteristic.
