# Follow up on Paph barbigerum (barbigerum x barbigerum fma. aureum)



## paphreek (Jul 20, 2009)

As noted in earlier threads, I began a two step process to breed stronger growing yellow barbigerums. I assumed that the project would take two crosses to complete: 
Step 1: Cross stronger regular barbigerum with aureum, creating barbigerums with 1/2 aureum genes in the first generation. The assumption was that the characteristic for pure yellow would be recessive, with all the F1 progeny looking like a normal barbigerum. 
Step 2: Cross two of the better F1 plants to create an F2 group where approximately 25% of the progeny would be yellow.

The first bloom came out looking as expected.






But then I noticed the bud color was unusually light on some of the other plants that were in bud.





Here are pictures of the first two lighter bud flowers to open. They opened pure green, but appear to be quickly turning yellow. 










Is there anyone who would care to comment on the recessive/dominant characteristics of barbigerum fma. aureum? Was I mistaken in my assumption of the aureum's recessive character? Did the normal colored barbigerum used as the pod parent have recessive aureum genes? Am I being way too simplistic in my view of this interesting development?


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## PaphMadMan (Jul 20, 2009)

The simplest explanation is that your normal colored parent was in fact heterozygous, with a dominant gene for 'normal' color and a recessive gene for lack of reddish pigments. When crossed with the aureum form which had 2 copies of the recessive gene, about half the resulting progeny should be normal colored and half lacking reddish pigments, allowing the yellow/green background color to show. Unless the progeny come out nowhere near 50:50 for a large population there is no reason to assume it is any more complicated than that.


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## Elena (Jul 20, 2009)

Great result whatever the reason! :clap:


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## NYEric (Jul 20, 2009)

I didn't finish genetics!


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## Rick (Jul 20, 2009)

How is the vigor of the aureum colored offspring? They don't seem to be to far behind the normal colored ones.


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## paphreek (Jul 20, 2009)

Rick said:


> How is the vigor of the aureum colored offspring? They don't seem to be to far behind the normal colored ones.



As a group, the aureum leaves seem to be a paler color, but they have good roots and appear to be growing and blooming as fast or faster than the dark colored ones. Because of the pale color of so many of the plants, I thought I had a cultural problem and was experimenting with different ideas to give the leaves more color.


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## Ernie (Jul 20, 2009)

They all look awesome, Ross! I agree with PaphMadMan on the genetics, but plants are not always as cut and dry. Personally, I like the regular color (first one) best. 

-Ernie


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## SlipperKing (Jul 21, 2009)

Wow Ross, I have to go along with Ernie only part way. I like the normal but love the second aureum! Will you go ahead and make the second cross you originally planned on making given the current outcome? What kind of changes did you make, trying to improve the color of the aureums?


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## paphreek (Jul 21, 2009)

SlipperKing said:


> Wow Ross, I have to go along with Ernie only part way. I like the normal but love the second aureum! Will you go ahead and make the second cross you originally planned on making given the current outcome? What kind of changes did you make, trying to improve the color of the aureums?



This winter I repotted many of them, adding oyster shell to the mix, and reduced the light somewhat. A dozen or so have responded by going into bud.


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## paphreek (Jul 21, 2009)

Ernie said:


> They all look awesome, Ross! I agree with PaphMadMan on the genetics, but plants are not always as cut and dry. Personally, I like the regular color (first one) best.
> 
> -Ernie


The regular colored one definitely has the best form of the three to bloom so far.


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## biothanasis (Jul 21, 2009)

Cool!


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## goldenrose (Jul 21, 2009)

:clap: It's looking like the odds on mine have just gone up! Will be interesting .... now where's the oyster shell? less light, that's easy!


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## Drorchid (Jul 21, 2009)

Very Cool Ross!

Regarding the Genetics, I will have to agree with PaphMadMan. Let us know what the percentage of Regular versus Aureum will be.

Robert


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## Rick (Jul 21, 2009)

paphreek said:


> As a group, the aureum leaves seem to be a paler color, but they have good roots and appear to be growing and blooming as fast or faster than the dark colored ones. Because of the pale color of so many of the plants, I thought I had a cultural problem and was experimenting with different ideas to give the leaves more color.



Give'm a shot of epson salts:wink:


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## tenman (Jul 21, 2009)

I'm glad I now have one of the seedlings; however, with my usual bad luck with the randomness of seedlings, I am sure mine will be a type color. I had planned to self it anyway and hope for the best.

I heard a mention that haynaldianum was dominant for album (though I have not researched that) and I believe primulinum is the same; it is of course always a possibility that any 'type' plant has recessive album genes. It is also possible that the album genes in this particular case are not entirely recessive; there may also be several involved instead of just one, as well, which would muddy the situation as well. I very much enjoyed my genetics course in college, but things can be much more complicated in application than the simple statistical models that included.

The really good news is that there are now suddenly and unexpectedly many more album barbigerums in the world :clap:


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## paphreek (Jul 21, 2009)

Rick said:


> Give'm a shot of epson salts:wink:



Once every four to six weeks, I replace one of my normal fertilizer waterings with pure water and a little epsom salt.


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