TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk
Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
Hybrids Don't have to be the same genus, as many orchid hybrids are from different genera....It has something to do with the chromosonal count....I'm not really sure what the relationship is... Hyrbids definately have to be of the same...er..family? (is family the one right over genus? I foget my high school biology).
Hybrids are created by cross pollenating plants of 2 different species within the same genus. So crossing different cultivars (ie. Dente, Akai Ryu) of Dionaea muscipula (VFT) wouldn't be a hybrid. But for instance crossing different members of the Sarracenia genus with one another (like alata x psittacina) would give you hybrid pitcher plant seed. For some genuses like Sarracenia, all the species contained within that classification are able to cross pollinate each other, allowing them all to be crossed producing hybrids. For some other genus such as Drosera, not all species can cross pollinate. This has to do with the fact that typically equal numbers of chromosomes (large pieces of DNA, or genetic material) are required to create viable seed (there are exceptions to this, but they require nature or chemicals to cause a plant to have multiple copies of their chromosomes...a very rare event in nature). I have never heard of plants from differing genuses (but the same family) being successfully hybridized, although I know someone attempted to cross Dionaea with a Drosera.
To Clarify: Normally, only plants in the same genus can successfully hybridize because the DNA must line up fairly well. A borderline cross produces a plant with an odd number of chromosomes that because of this can not breed in turn.
Most hybrids however, are fertile.
Usually the only way plants are close enough in genetics to breed is within the same genus, but because genera are defined by physical appearences and not by genetics (untill very recently) occasionally you will find plants from different genera that can create a hybrid, this does not, however, mean that any two plants can interbreed, only certain ones.
P.S. uh bad bad spelling
Most hybrids however, are fertile.
Usually the only way plants are close enough in genetics to breed is within the same genus, but because genera are defined by physical appearences and not by genetics (untill very recently) occasionally you will find plants from different genera that can create a hybrid, this does not, however, mean that any two plants can interbreed, only certain ones.
P.S. uh bad bad spelling
Tetraphage covered most of this in the most precise manner but I want to clarify some of the points and questions here:
1) You can produce hybrids between Genera, there are many orchid hybrids that are intergenic.
2) No you can not cross a dandelion and a VFT.
3) The D. regia x VFT crosses that have been made are reported to have made seed but I do not know if any of that seed turned out to be viable.
4) Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species
5) No you can't cross a Nep and a Sarr. Different families
6) The majority of hybrids in nature are not fertile
1) You can produce hybrids between Genera, there are many orchid hybrids that are intergenic.
2) No you can not cross a dandelion and a VFT.
3) The D. regia x VFT crosses that have been made are reported to have made seed but I do not know if any of that seed turned out to be viable.
4) Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species
5) No you can't cross a Nep and a Sarr. Different families
6) The majority of hybrids in nature are not fertile
