Viewing post #1747387 by Cpschult

bluegrassmom said:Hello from KY, sorry I am late to the show but was pleased to find this new thread. I have a lot going on but who doesn't lol. I added Texas Feathered Fancy last Fall and it did make it thru this past crazy winter. It has not bloomed yet but I am hoping it will send you a scape soon. I love the look of the extras in the throat. I collect iris of all kinds and love unique plants.

Please post pics of your seedlings that are being developed. I am a dabber but nothing to show on this field (yet).

If you are on facebook I highly recommend the "Daylily Hybridizers Nook". Mike Derrow has been posing some outstanding bearded/cristate seedlings. I had messaged him about some pollen which led to a discussion about the pollen sterility issue he's been seeing! Char (on here) also has some great looking seedlings. Rich from CT Daylilies also looks like he will be having some awesome bearded/cristate seedlings.

Davi said:Chris

My tiny program has not experienced any pod or pollen infertility....but rather lacks focus on my part as my hybridizing for unusual forms gets the majority of my attention and has been more productive. I still set a few seeds every year on my cristate introductions as well as seedlings. AFTER THE RIOT is an easy pod setter and pollen is also good so it is an excellent parent if you are working with tets.

The pollen infertility that plagued the early dips was likely caused by a high degree of inbreeding that is necessary whenever you see anything "new" in form and there is nothing out there coming from different lines for outcrossing that can help with the fertility issues. I'm sure Maurice is better at explaining that. I was just lucky that Curt bloomed SIGOURNEY at about the same time that I had LITTLE BIG EARS appear in my garden so that we could do a trade. Crossing the two together helped produce fertile offspring.

I'm only working with diploids for the bearded/cristate side of genetics. And "working" may be to strong of a word. I've got two kids under four and my work schedule has increased significantly. I likely won't be doing many crosses this year. I'm running out of space too. Living in the city is for the birds!

admmad said:
'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.

I added a note to the first post drawing attention to potential sterility issues. Mike Derrow mentioned needing to cross out and then cross back in. Brad has said his latest generation of flowers are pod/pollen fertile. I don't have the budget to find out. Hopefully we will start to see seeds on the AH soon ;)