Heavy Metal offspring

[Charlie]

Continuing from the Gator Pride offspring topic, here are some results of using the intensely colored Heavy Metal in crosses.

Flickering Flame - very much like Heavy Metal in color and intensity, this cross with Spice Island seems to have inherited the most of the flower characteristics from Heavy Metal. Photo below.

Confection Perfection - a surprise result of crossing the bright orange Saffron with Heavy Metal. The result was a large flower with yummy pastel colors unlike either parent. Neither the dark eye or the white eye dominated in this one.

07-9348 this time Heavy Metal was crossed with Buttercup. One might have expected this to be a likely cross to result in something like the above Confection Perfection but it was not to be - this is an almost solid dark orange/red that does not appear to have received any flower qualities from Buttercup.

07-3312 this came from the same cross as Confection Perfection - Saffron x Heavy Metal - and indeed it looks like it since the result is another almost solid dark red/orange.

So what did we learn from this sampling? The dark red/orange of Heavy Metal dominated in 3 of the 4 offspring, suggesting those colors may be dominant. However, the flower that is the most unusual and best all round (in my opinion) is the one where Heavy Metal did not dominate and the flower looks like neither parent.

That's the way it goes with hibiscus hybridizing. You roll the dice and then roll up your sleeves because the traditional way to get great cultivars is to grow a lot of seeds!

Charlie

[helixturnhelix]

I must agree that confection perfection is very unique and pretty.  In my eyes, she looks like a perfect blend of both parents.  She has Heavy metals basic color scheme (only lighter) with Saffrons light (but not white) center.  A very exciting cv, since it looks like the dark eye heavy metal has is usually dominant.  I think a dark eye is a dominant characteristic in general, because it seems that crosses involving high voltage or rainbow christie, seem to give dark eyed offspring.  And it seems that heavy metal passes that dominant trait to its offspring.  It would be interesting to look at the hibiscus's dark eye under UV light because often times you see new patterns emerge that can only usually be seen by the insects that pollinate the flowers.  It would be interesting to see if there is more of a pattern directing to the center that shows up in those flowers with dark centers than flowers with light centers like saffron.  That could explain why this trait is usually dominant, because it is ecologically important to direct the pollinators to where the stigma and anthers are.   

Below is an example of what a flower looks like in normal sunlight vs UV light.

[Darkhorse]

I think Chris is onto something with the UV light and insects.  The difference between the yellow flower in white light and under a black light is so interesting!  Sorry I don't have more to offer to this conversation but I'm still very wet behind the ears when it comes to plant genetics. 

I saw Confection Perfection in the newsletter awhile back and added it to my want list at the time. 

[Nievesgirl]

I think Chris is onto something with the UV light and insects.  The difference between the yellow flower in white light and under a black light is so interesting!  Sorry I don't have more to offer to this conversation but I'm still very wet behind the ears when it comes to plant genetics. 

I saw Confection Perfection in the newsletter awhile back and added it to my want list at the time. 

I am right along with you Jordan  I wanted to add this even though this has nothing to do with plants.  My boyfriend ( sam)  and I into reef aquariums  He told me to find the best zoanthids ( corals) at the wholesaler by using a black light to see the zooxanthellae glowing. Now zoanthids are poisonous and its said the ones with the brightest colors are a warning to other animals. These other animals could probably see stuff we can not see with our own eyes just like the bees and the flowers. All corals will glow under black light but zoanthids have some of the brightest colors

[Charlie]

Hi Chris,

Looking at hibiscus from the insect's point of view is sure fascinating. That photo is an eye opener!

You are right about the large dark eye being dominant. Heavy Metal got this from Rainbow Christi and passes it on as does Rainbow Christi to many of her offspring. I'm tired of medium size dark red eyes since so many hibiscus have them, but an extra large, extra dark eye is quite dramatic and something I watch for with new varieties.

The other aspect of Heavy Metal is that it does not fade like so many 5th Dimension offspring. That is such a common trait among 5th Dimension offspring that I have quit using it for the most part. But Chris, is it possible that some of 5th Dimensions colors might come out in Heavy Metal offspring even though the fading aspect is not present in the phenotype? I suppose so, and in fact that might be why Confection Perfection has the colors it has. They do fade slightly but not the way 5th Dimension's offspring usually do.

I'm going to open up another topic about pollinators because this is a hibiscus mystery that should be solved some day.

Charlie

[helixturnhelix]

Good morning all!

Charlie:  I think that is a good possibility that confection perfections lighter color are due to fifth dimension genes.  Heavy Metal might have not inherited the full set of genes needed for fading, but passed a chunk of them on to confection perfection.  It is possible that Saffron passed the extra genes needed to complete the pathway, like fitting two pieces of rail road track together.  Another possibility is Saffrons parents genes are being seen.  I think you can really see the influence of Saffron's parent Norman Lee, in this cv.

Kerry:  You are into reef aquariums!  What size tank do you have?  I just took down my 60 gal LPS tank, and its now a planted tank.  I also have a JBJ nano 12 that I keep some zoos and rose anemones in.  Along with a pair of percs.  It is true that in case of most animals brighter colors are a warning.  In the case of corals, it is my understanding that these proteins that floresce serve to protect coral from UV radiation, since they glow in that spectrum.  They serve more as protection from light than a defense mechanism against other organisms.  That being said, corals still produce a pleathora of toxic compounds to ward off being eaten by other organisms.  These florescent proteins have proved an invaluable tool for use in scientific research.  They use these proteins like GFP (green florescent protein), to screen cells that are transformed or look at cell fates in developmental biology.   

I attached an awesome picture of transformed bacteria will all the different types of florescent proteins that are used as markers.