Banksia hybrid, ‘Lila Banks’, confirmed triploid by David Zlesak 2/12/05.
First generation seedling, ‘Antoine Rivoire’ x ‘Lila Banks’, also confirmed triploid, leading one to wonder whether a combination of pollen ploidy types is being produced.
OP seed of ‘Lila banks’ germinated recently so can be fertile in both directions. Thanks, Robert
That’s wonderful, and the cross sounds very intresting.
I’ve always wondered the ploidy of many roses, especially the earlier miniatures from Ralph Moore. So many them seem to be triploid x triploid crosses.
I had always fought the urge to work with Felicia hybrid musk, and to cross it with Buff Beauty. Buff Beauty, when I limit it’s water, will easily put out hips. Although my crosses of it with Baby Love haven’t germinated-- so maybe there is no embryo in the seeds… Nonetheless, it’s good to confirm that triploid x triploid have worked in the past.
Are you using Purezza in your work at all? My plant has finally built up nicely, and I will cross this year with Renae, or my Renea x Sutter’s Gold seedling. Last year it only made a few blooms that set no seed, but I used R. kordesii as the parent. I think that if I could find another parent that is more physically similar to Purezza, perhaps results will be easier. And since Renae, and my seeding, have a lack of thorns and elongated foilage, just like Purezza, then the cross might take hold.
From what I’ve been able to gather ‘Purezza’ has been a dead end for most breeders. I never even bothered acquiring it for that reason.
I know rose history is full of fertile triploids. Finding key links to certain species seems to be the answer. A case in point would be Ralph Moore’s work bracteata resulting in ‘Muriel’ and henceforth, ‘Out of Yesteryear’.
So far it looks like ‘Lila Banks’ may well be the link needed to incorporate banksia into modern hybrids. If the first offspring is any indication it may well be producing diploid pollen or possible a mix of pollen types as was suggested by David Zlesak. David has offered to analyze the pollen so I may have something definitive in the near future.
Dr. Viru Viraraghavan noted recently that he has his first seedling germinating now using Lila Banks pollen on a mauve miniature.
Since my interest is primarily evergreen Winter blooming roses for mild warm climates it will be interesting to see if we can combine bracteata, clinophylla and others. Thanks, Robert