Rob,
Almost all potazaleas are diploid. Only very few are tetraploid or triploid. In general a higher ploidy level can give altered characteristics that might be desirable breeding targets. For the regenerated tetraploid margins we observed for example thicker petals that make that the flowers will last longer.
Leen,
So there might be a possibility of raising a new ‘line’ of potazaleas that are tetraploids with flowers of more substance then. That is so cool.
Is tetraploid petal margins as a result of sporting an unusual occurance?
Yes Rob, to our knowledge it does not occur in other genera although sporting by different coloured margins (picotee type) occurs in other plants e.g. petunia.
We can not explain what happenes with these flowers during flower development.
Ummm… Backing up a tad to 12/22 posts, do the transposons work simply by the placement of a gene relative the the starting transcription sequence in the gene? Thus a silent gene becomes shifted into a “read” location?
(I’m admittedly a few (ahem) years beyond my biology courses and… well… I guess I’m precociously senile or something…)
So the relative position of an otherwise silent gene is a trait which is inheratable? Thus there would be some theoritical benefit to crossing with the sport as opposed to the original, or reverted sport?
I suppose I should google methylation and the like before inquiring…
Very interesting Leena. Then this could be a great advancement in breeding potazaleas. Thank you for the education.