Speaking of species, recently we had an assignment on creating
'amphidiploids' and using them in a theorectical hybridizing project.

Thank god I had a few contacts through the internet to help me
learn/understand what an amphidiploid is. Not that I ever truly grasped much
of what they were telling me. My pea-brain interpreted an amphidiploid as a
polyploid or 4n plant, which is a gross oversimplification of the term and
concept.

Anyway, Marilyn Light passed along this URL about polyploid evolution that
I found interesting. In it the author quotes Soltis and Soltis who (I
believe I'm reading this right) are researching the idea that way back at
the beginning of angiosperms, flowering plants had very few chromosomes (4?
8?) and that, in nature, improper gametogenesis happens much more frequently
than we think is does. Leading to a higher production rate of polyploids
than previously understood. And, as we all know, the "4n" plants
out-compete the '2n' plants. Therefore they posit that present day flowering
plants with their present day chromosome numbers are the result of millenia
of natural polyploid selection.
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~mbhat...yevolution.pdf

I'm not sure if that's the same as the 'first flower' idea that a different
group is chasing down, the same way researchers at Berkeley chased down
'Eve' using mitichondrial/extra-nuclear DNA.

But its interesting.

K Barrett

In case you wondered, my theotectical project involved putting Laelia lundii
onto either B. cucullata, Soph. cernua or L alaorii in order to capitalize
on that great lip. Selfing the most interesting ones, treating with
colchicine to create the amphidiploid, then putting that on some of
Granier's large floofy blue orchds (whch have to be 4n by now) or continuing
with small orchids for the hobby greenhouse by putting it onto L (Brazilia?)
sincorana 4n etc.

See how we waste our time? LOL!!


"K Barrett" wrote in message
...
Let's not be a species snob, John. Buy the orchid if you like it. *G*

K Barrett

"John Varigos" wrote in message
om...
Thanks Niek, Kathy and Eric for the help in IDing this one. I am
devastated that this is not a species because it is so nice.

Cheers

John

"Eric Hunt" wrote in message
...
John,

Eric Christenson says it's a hybrid, possibly falcata x flabellata.

-Eric in SF
www.orchidphotos.org

"John Varigos" wrote in message
om...
Does anyone know the real name of this species? The name on the label
is not recognised by Kew. The grower says that it came from Thailand.
The colours are quite lovely and I would love one of these but not sure
what I should be ordering.
~John