Rob,

I have been thinking about one of Al's questions. Are we going to find a
orchid gene which causes the sex parts to form into a column? At first I
was thinking why not, there is a single gene which cause the human ear lob
to connect or dangle. But the more I think about it, the less likely I
think it is that simple. I seek mutants. I have seen orchids flowers with
no column, I have seen flowers with multiple columns. I have seen columns
with no sex parts. I have seen columns with multiple sex parts (2 and 3
sets of pollen on a single column). I have seen some pretty funky shaped
columns. But I have never seen a mutant orchid where the male and female
parts were not making a column. If the column was the result of just a
gene, wouldn't a mutant most likely be out there?

Pat