Today, there exists a strain of Hibiscus (Northern Hardy), which, with its chalked bloom, is the natural creation of a miracle equaling the legends of the Holy Grail.
This flower, a charming creamy white, 1 ½” deep chalice 6″ to 8″ in diameter, gracefully curves its petals upward and inward at the deckled and fluted edges. The flutes, in places, sweep down toward the intensely scarlet eye.
Some thoughtful artist has brushed these edges with tints of scarlet and crimson that filter part way down the incurved flutes. It is enchanting indeed with its purity and charm, entirely capable of representing the Holy Grail in flower form.
How this lovely blossom was created we’ll never really know. The answer lies with those minute determinants of traits—the genes strung out along the chromosomes of the reproductive cell.
Manipulating Nature’s Course
But we did push Nature along a little. We had been crossing our better stock for years, and in 1954, Nature gave us a fine gift in the form of a bicolor sport, which we crossed with all our better stock.
The seeds of this stock were soaked in colchicine. Then, after plowing, planting, fertilizing, cultivating, and weeding thousands of plants, Nature did the rest.
When the chalked bloom materialized, there were more than 25,000 plants in the garden, and I had probably grown 70,000 or more in the series leading up to it.
Role of Colchicine in The Breeding Process
Colchicine, which played an important role in the process, is a distillation of the powdered form of the autumn crocus bulb, Colchicum.
It is a powerful poison and has the effect of causing the chromosomes of a reproductive cell to split lengthwise instead of transversely.
Assume that we are dealing with the average lily which has 12 chromosomes in each reproductive cell. When this is divided they pull apart after a restriction at the center and each cell becomes two, each possessing 12 chromosomes.
With the correct amount of colchicine (too much would be abortive) the cell does not divide transversely but the chromosomes split apart lengthwise, thus forming 24 chromosomes in the original cell. Since the number of chromosomes is doubled, so are the genes.
Assume then that a gene with a color trait of brilliant scarlet joins another with a similar trait; the result could be a doubly brilliant scarlet, assuming that this trait was dominant.
Endless Possibilities and Variations
The possibilities are almost infinite, and many variations occur. Number 999 won’t please us, but the next one may merit an accolade—a miracle of Nature.
Our gardens now contain backgrounds of white, pink, lavender, orchid, scarlet, cerise, and crimson in the Chalice Strain.
Most of these are unstable and must be grown for 3-5 years or more to breed out uncertain qualities. The many crossings and chemical actions in the reproductive cells develop many variations from the norm—most of them unwelcome.
To the hybridizer, it simply means that after having secured a beautiful bloom, he may be forced to continue his crosses for some years before achieving a consistently dependable flower.
Image:
Large petaled cups of bloom come in shades of lavender, orchid, scarlet, cerise, and crimson
44659 by C. S. Kennedy