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dampflippers

Cross breeding gesneriads?

dampflippers
19 years ago

I have no idea if this would work, but could you cross fertilise african violets with streps, or streps with Sinningia leucotricha?

Comments (9)

  • jon_d
    19 years ago

    AV's are most closely related to the group of streptocarpus called streptocarpella. Most consider this to be a separate genus though it hasn't been officially published that way. Streptocarpellas are native to East Africa and Madagascar, with almost all the varieties in cultivation originating in the same mountains of E. Africa as African Violets. It is theorized that some of the streptocarpellas might cross with AV's but I still haven't seen any successful results. People claim they have made the cross but no one seems to have the evidence. Regular large leafed streptocarpus will not cross with AVs. Streps are also far too distant to cross with sinningias.

    Some of the intergeneric crosses that do succeed are with closely related genera such as achimenes and smithiantha, gloxinia and kohleria, and nematanthus and codonanthe. These three examples produce the hybrid genera, achimenantha, glokohleria and codonatanthus. These are often written preceded by an "x", as in x codonatanthus.

    Jon

  • komi
    19 years ago

    Jon - thank you so much for the info, yet again. Love the way you answer the questions and drop in some extra info. I've been basically trying to pollinate every gesneriad that's blooming this year with mixed success.

  • dampflippers
    Original Author
    19 years ago

    Thanks Jon. So from my amateur point of view, the answer is "no"!

  • jon_d
    19 years ago

    Amateur points of view are often what triggers changes in old beliefs that we silently except without challenging. We all "knew" that certain intergeneric hybrids such as achimenantha were sterile until Dale Martens started trying to get seed off them and succeeded, creating some very nice new cultivars. She is always trying to make crosses that seem very difficult or impossible, but by continually trying on many flowers she might get seed on one try out of twenty and get one or two new plants where we thought nothing could happen. So, I for one, always like to hear new ideas, regardless of whether they come from experts or newbies.

    Jon

    One of the many reasons for the popularity of gesneriads is their hybridizing potential. With all the amazing things that have already been done, we growers have only scratched the surface of what can be done. Many species have never been tried, many more are still out there in nature waiting to be brought into cultivation, and many great hybrids have also never been bred with. There are so many of "them" (plants) and so few of us.

    Jon

  • maggie99
    19 years ago

    Amen Jon.

  • jon_d
    19 years ago

    Aw, blush blush! Thanks for the encouraging words. Personally I don't know where "it" all comes from, but I must say that I too learn a lot from GW and everyone here. It is fun to pass on this lore (for want of a better term).

    Jon

  • dampflippers
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Returning to this thread....

    I have Sinningia leucotricha- my only Sinningia.
    If I wanted to try to keep the same plant habit...corm, and stems with 4 leaves, but bigger showier flowers, what could I try to cross it with that is compatible genetically?

    Any thoughts from the experts?

  • alenka
    16 years ago

    I don't know if this will be any help -- but this webpage, towards the end, has a "Hybridization" section, showing results of crosses between Sinningia leucotricha and a few other sinningias.

    Here is a link that might be useful: sinningia leucotricha

  • dampflippers
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Thanks- that's an interesting page.