I remember reading long ago in the Washington Post Sunday Science section (eliminated all too soon) about a germinated tomato with just one set of embryonic leaves and the first embryonic root - it was cut in half, with the top part placed in a petrie dish with a phosphorescent bacterium, and likewise with the root in another petrie dish. The two halves grew up to be glowing tomato plants. I got the impression this process would not have been as effective with a plant past the embryonic stage. Can you imagine trying this with a moonflower?

Soooo - anyone wonder what would happen if a morning glory seed or germinating seed or embryonic seedling were to be exposed to colchicine, which is the substance used to produce other plants with multiplied sets of chromosomes, like tetraploid daylilies? (I would imagine there could also be other substances or stimuli that could do this)

I have no idea what would happen (or might be or might not be possible), but when ya consider those incredibly exotic, gorgeous Ipomoea nil mutants produced by the Japanese beginning around the early 1800s, it kinda gives ya the itch to meddle with Mother Nature...

Joseph, when you were visiting Kyushu U in Japan earlier this year, I wish I had had the wit to ask you to ask Dr. Nitisaka if there had ever been any experiments doubling morning glory chromosomes, or if any of those Ipomoea nil mutants already had multiple sets of chromosomes. Did anyone say anything that could be repeated along these lines?

Did Dr. Nitisaka ever say anything about how those mutants might have been created? what process or stimulant might have been used? I supposed accidents of nature could explain some...

Karyn, sometimes I get one of those "helmet" seedlings, where the seed coat won't dislodge from the emerging cotyledon leaves. When I try to separate the two, it always amazes me how intertwined the seedcoat and embryonic leaf are - like an intricate double maze.

Sounds like a well-spent afternoon, to me, Karyn.

Karen

These seeds hadn't begun to germinate. I picked the seeds before they were fully ripened while still plump and pliable. Once they dry out they don't look at all similar but I do wonder if they would after nicking and soaking? They probably would considering how quickly they germinate.

Karen another seed that I get the co-joined leaves on are plumerias. I don't recall reading about the tomato seed experiment ( I read the Post too) but have heard about "designer pets" like glowing Zebra fish and other glowing animals by introducing (splicing?) DNA from phosphorescent bacterium.

I didn't know that colchicine was used on plants or that it had an effect on their chromosomes. I was just familiar with it as an old treatment for gout. lol What effect do you think changing the number of chromosomes would have on a MG? I know that different varieties of passiflora have different numbers of chromosomes and they can't be used to pollinate each other. I guess that would be the same for MG's with different numbers of chromosome pairs?

Karen you brought up some interesting questions. With a bit of research you might be able to find if any experiments using colchicine on MG's have been performed.

Wouldn't it be great to bring make some of the strains we see in the old woodcut illustrations? I did not have the discussions on genetics you identified with Dr. Nitasaka. I have seen some mutant systems that are in the Kyushu University seed collection that could serve in crossing experiments. Such as this one, Q1095:

With some hard work, one could maybe come up with something similar to say this one:

It would be cool to introduce the speckled gene into Q1095.

Joseph

I am sure similar strains are kept in Individual asagao-growers' collections. Know anyone who lives in Japan who belongs to an asagao club?

Joseph