Sunset Glow 4N

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Achamore

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Feb 11, 2012
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Isle of Gigha, Scotland
I bought this several years ago from Jerry Fischer at Orchids Limited, pretty sure its never been in bloom for me before. Its Eric Young 'Rocket Fire' 4N x Memoria Dick Clements 'Rocket Flash' 4N. I guess the horns are down to the 4N count.

 
Perhaps not perfect form, but the flower is very pretty
anyway. Why might a 4N produce such odd horns on the
petals?

Angela, I can't say for certain, but my impression over the past 20 years has been that you see these horns / teeth far more on 3N and 4N specimens. I wonder if it has something to do with the colchicine treatment of the protocorms. These are placed in the colchicine (a toxic chemical) for 3 to 5 days as I understand it, and this induces some of them to become 4N plants. Commonly practised and for very understandable reasons, the 4N blooms are otherwise terrific to behold. And one can regard the horns as somehow special, but they have always seemed to me to be undesirable.
 
I'd have to search but I'm sure there are. It's like that stupid leaf habit where sometimes they don't open longitudinally and then you have to cut them open for the plant to grow..:mad:
 
Well, I've been growing phrags for 18 years, and have never seen teeth on a 2N plant, or on any of the species I have had. But I have seen them often on 4N blooms. Personally, the evidence I have seen is that the colchicine treatment has some "unintended consequences", and sometimes it isn't that bad, but in this case it amounts to a deformity of the bloom. If anyone would like to have this toothy Sunset Glow, I'd be happy for them to have it, free of charge.
 
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