an experimental african violet

[cnycharles]

here is a pic of the remaining african violet from a population of plants that the violet breeder (lyndon lyons firm, paul lyons breeder) who used to create new varieties for us (our site when we were owned by someone else). he would make new crosses, take the nicest ones and send them to south africa to be mericloned. many of the varieties that were accepted would receive people names, many from the names of workers at our site. we no longer grow and sell african violets which makes some happy (pest magnets and bosses who insisted that they be always watered within an inch of their lives and subsequently doused with fungicides on a regular basis oke: ) some sad (now we hardly grow anything in the winter time and they were something interesting).

I had three, two died. Others had some plants from the last population before they were put on carts and tossed out but I don't know how many if any have survived. The color expression has changed in these flowers over the years, don't know if it is common or not for some of the flowers to 'morph' over time

 

[NYEric]

An interesting and sad tale, maybe your bosses were like me and compulsive waterers. Glad to see you have a good one left.

 

[Leo Schordje]

My mother had a similar looking violet, that she got 20+ years ago. It was a chimera, over the years the white diminished, today the flowers are a uniform deep purple. I suspect if your violet is a chimera, it will in time revert to the most vigorous of the cell lines that make up the plant.