Hybrid parentage question

[superimposedhope]

Can a hybrid's characteristics be predicted based on the parents gender?

example: If you crossed a veitchii and a sumatrana, and let's say you have both genders of both plants and wanted a sumatrana pitcher with the veitchii peristome, could you purposely get this outcome on the first try or would it be hit and miss until you finally come up with it?

Joe

 

[nepenthes gracilis]

Its kind of hit and miss like you said. With gene shuffling, its very tough to get what you want. But, if you have a large seed set, chances are very high that you can get a heck of a cross with the best of both parents. Someday we cna have "desginer plants"!

 

[superimposedhope]

I know with Rhipsalis and related, DNA testing has started to play a large part in flower color and size and whatnot. However somethings still are sooooo recessivee that it is still almost impossible to pin down a specific trait. Such as right now there is still alot of money going into developing a blue flowered Schlumbergera (christmas cactus). Which would be a Schlum.xEpi. or Schlum.xWittia to get the blue flower.
I don't know if there is companies willing to invest soo much time and money into Neps. Since Neps. don't have quite the same market as Christmas cactus.
DNA testing I beleive costs alot to implement in a hobby trade.

Joe

 

[Trent]

To answer the question: sort of a no. The gender of the parent affects characteristics in that the seed bearer(female) may be a little more dominant, but primary Nepenthes hybrids are pretty much halfway between the two parents. More complex hybrids is where strange things may happen as gene combos produce results not like either immediate parent, but may throw back to a grandparent. Bruce Bednar's cross of N. x excellens (not officially reg.), which is Rokko x Mixta, resulted in some unpredictable cultivars. Also, size of the plant -dwarf species-seems to be recessive sometimes. The cross of bellii x veitchii resulted in some huge traps-bigger than veitchii. Perhaps bellii is carries some of merrilliana's genes?-they are closely related.

Trent

 

[nepenthes gracilis]

Perhaps Glenn Peterson's and my cross I performed with his donation of pollen may result in some sweet hybrids! The cross is N. x rokko (the female) x N. x gentle.

 

[Capslock]

Dustin, I think it's important to find out how those seeds grow in different conditions, if you know what I mean...

Capslock

 

[Trent]

Nice cross, Dustin.

We've got a cutting of 'Gentle' just starting to spike, but the only female starting to bloom is N. hirsuta. I would much rather cross the 'Gentle' onto 'Rokko'.

Trent

 

[The Griffin]

Dustin,

With your youth, you could be the hybridizer of the future, lol. Making your own crosses and then when those are mature, crossing those with other desirable plants.

Regards,

Joe