Re: [Aroid-l] Hybrids?

From: "Peter Boyce" <botanist at malesiana.com> on 2007.02.24 at 23:32:39(15344) Curiously, while natural aroid hybrids seem to be not at all common in nature, Arum seems to be profligate, with the following confirmed (order of parents is pollen:seed): A. apulum x A. italicum ssp. italicum (Italy) A. creticum x A. idaeum (Crete) A. cylindraceum (syn. A. alpinum) x A. maculatum = Arum x sooi (first recorded for Hungary but present almost everywhere that the two species meet in Europe) A. concinnatum x A. cyrenaicum (Crete) A. idaeum x A. creticum (Crete) A. italicum ssp. italicum (also reported as ssp. neglectum) x A. maculatum (France) A. palaestinum x A. dioscorides (Israel) A. purpureospathum x A. concinnatum (Crete) What is most interesting is the number of hybrids occurring in Crete. Arisarum also produces a hybrid between A. vulgare x A. simorrhinum, the swarms of offsprinr of which have variously been used to describe a whole raft of ssp. and vars and haev been used to taxonomically merge the two parents under the name A. vulgare. In fact, the parents are very distinct. Here in Sarawak I know of at least two populations of Alocasia robusta x A. princeps; and one of A. reversa x A. ridleyi. Peter +More ----- Original Message ----- To: Sent: Saturday, February 24, 2007 11:01 PM Subject: Re: [Aroid-l] Hybrids? Reply-To : Discussion of aroids Sent : Friday, February 23, 2007 6:34 PM To : aroid-l@gizmoworks.com (Discussion of aroids) Subject : Re: [Aroid-l] Philodendron 'Santa Leopoldina' I don`t believe that anyone denys that there are 'natural hybrids' in nature. BUT---'mother nature' usually makes these 'natural hybrids' a rare occurence, and in many cases a Biological dead-end. Think about a mule (donkey X horse). In other hybrids, there is no or limited fertility in the hybrid. The statement 'pollen goes wherever it may' is true in very few cases except wind-pollenated species, it MUST be transported from plant to plant (or animal to animal), and there are mecanisims to ensure in most cases that the pollen from one species goes to that species (distinct different odurs or shape/colors of blooms in plants, different behaviors, etc. in animals/birds). But yes, there are 'natural hybrids' that do sometimes occur, even in aroids! Julius Can anypne deny that in nature there may be some "natural hybrids"? Pollen goes wherever it may-- _ _______________________________________________ Aroid-l mailing list Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l _______________________________________________ Aroid-l mailing list Aroid-l@gizmoworks.com http://www.gizmoworks.com/mailman/listinfo/aroid-l

Note: this is a very old post, so no reply function is available.