Date: Fri, 27 Feb 1998 18:13:43 EST From: CALIFCARN <CALIFCARN@aol.com> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg783$foo@default> Subject: Re: Cultivar Stuff
Howdy folks. Peter here in the land of landslides. The sun actually came out
today!
I, too, wanted to thank Mark Oveson for his clear explanation of what the
orchid growers do, which is similar to what I've been doing, minus, of course,
the awards.
I had a long chit chat with Larry Mellichamp on the phone the other day.
He said he's gonna do an article or something on this cultivar business
shortly. I'll let him and Jan battle it out. I really appreciate Jan's
trying to clarify all of this for us, but I'm afraid it's kind of like the
religious fanatic pointing at his or her Koran or Bible, then shaking that
finger in our faces, while we all go about sinning in the eyes of taxonomy.
I do have a question for Jan, however, about one point he's made several
times. You state that a "cultivar group" can't be named without first naming
a "cultivar". I have crossed many Sarracenia hybrids, some of them quiet
complex. As I grow them out, if I notice an outstanding plant or two, I put
them aside to evaluate them as a possible future cultivar. This is more or
less what I've learned from Slack's books, and talking with other growers,
etc. over the years about "cultivars". While all of the plants in this or
that hybrid cross may be attractive, usually none are so drop dead gorgous
that I would want to name it as a "cultivar" to preserve its status
vegatatively. Do I still have to choose at least one "cultivar" from this
group in order to establish a "cultivar group"? Couldn't I just name the
whole "group" without singling out one particular plant?
Stefan asked what the true parentage of S. x 'Judith Hindle' is. I
will have to look through my records and notes to see if I still have that
information, and if I find it I will let you know. (However the
correspondence with Alan Hindle may have been lost a few years ago when a big
storm destroyed much of our greenhouse and blew everything away) From what I
recall, Alan had one plant that had S. purpurea v., flava and leucophylla in
it. I believe it was the Bradys, who, I think, owned Sarracenia nurseries in
London, who had another S. (purp x flava) x leuco. Both of these hybrids used
original species that were forms or varieties of particular note. Alan
crossed the two plants. S. x 'Judith Hindle' was one of the offspring, of
which he donated a division to California Carnivores. The first spring that
it grew, several customers fainted in the aisles of the nursery upon seeing
it, and thus Marilee and I decided to name it as a cultivar.
Th-th-th-that's all, folks. Peter
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