# Amazing Breakthrough in Orchid Breeding: The Phragmoglossum!



## Drorchid (Apr 1, 2009)

11 years ago, when I was working at the University of Minnesota, I was working on somatic fusion of protoplasts of Tomato and Potato's (we called the plants "Pomato's").

When I started working here at Orchids Limited I came up with the idea of doing the same with orchids. I decided to choose two species of orchids that were totally unrelated: Phrag. longifolium and Porroglossum loja, a pleurothalid related to Masdevalia's. I was able to develop a method of protoplast isolation from diploid lines, and fuse the protoplasts using PEG induced fusion. Next I used in vitro culture to regenerate the hybrid plants. Molecular, cytogenetic and fenotype traits were analyzed of the hybrid plants and verified them to be tetraploid somatic hybrids. In next month's AOS magazine I will be writing an article about this breakthrough technology in orchid breeding. After 5 years, coming out of the lab the first plant finally bloomed. Most of the characteristics of the flowers are from the longifolium plant. It did however get some characteristics from its pleurothalid parent. We named the new genus: Phragmoglossum. As I have shown that this works, imagine the possibilities: Cattleya's crossed with Paph's, Phrag's crossed with Phalaenopsis etc etc..You guys here at Slipper Talk will be the first to see the amazing results:


The two parent species that I used:

Phrag. longifolium:






Porroglossum loja:





The first flowers of the somatic hybrid to bloom:










Robert


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## slippertalker (Apr 1, 2009)

Amazing! I will look forward to your article in Orchids. 

This will open a true Pandora's box of entertainment for future hybridizers, judges, show schedules and the RHS registrar. 

Do you have any other such efforts pending?


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## goldenrose (Apr 1, 2009)

Yes amazing...
Yes interesting....
but ....
It's gonna take me some time to get use to this!


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## nikv (Apr 1, 2009)

Interesting. You should name her Audrey II just like in _The Little Shop of Horrors_. 

Is there any chance that the hybrid is in any way fertile? 

By the way, I'm putting in my order for a kovachii crossed with a dandelion. We should end up with a beautiful plant that grows like a weed!


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## em_tee_w (Apr 1, 2009)

On this particular day, I applaud your dedication, time and effort to get the results just right.


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## Clark (Apr 1, 2009)

Congratulations!!! This is so cutting edge. The flower is very easy on the 
eyes. I am almost afraid to ask, is your peer group calling you 
Dr. Frankenstein? Please, please keep me in mind when you can 
distribute these. Again, congratulations. Clark


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## tocarmar (Apr 1, 2009)

Robert,
Very Good!! CopyCat!! I was going to do the same thing!!  

Tom


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## NYEric (Apr 1, 2009)

AMazing! Does Jerry know you're wasting so much time!






oke: 
Happy April Fool's!


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## nikv (Apr 1, 2009)

NYEric said:


> oke:
> Happy April Fool's!


OMG! I'm such a guppy!


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## NYEric (Apr 1, 2009)

I have a bridge to sell!


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## Elena (Apr 1, 2009)

:rollhappy::clap::rollhappy:


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## nikv (Apr 1, 2009)

NYEric said:


> I have a bridge to sell!


No thanks! I already own the Golden Gate Bridge. :wink:


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## Mrs. Paph (Apr 1, 2009)

LOL, yep, I enjoy good science fiction! Thanks DrOrchid!


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## Drorchid (Apr 1, 2009)

Yep, Eric you got me!

:rollhappy::rollhappy: HAPPY APRIL FOOLS!! :rollhappy::rollhappy:

Robert


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## Clark (Apr 1, 2009)

I owe you one. :evil:


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## em_tee_w (Apr 1, 2009)

em_tee_w said:


> On this particular day, I applaud your dedication, time and effort to get the results just right.



Let me just emphasize the "On this particular day" part of my post... :wink:


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## NYEric (Apr 1, 2009)

Yep another slickster!


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## Heather (Apr 1, 2009)

My first thought was hmmm, Amazing on April Fool's day? Hmmmmm....


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## Yoyo_Jo (Apr 1, 2009)

:rollhappy::rollhappy::rollhappy:


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## neo-guy (Apr 1, 2009)

You were quite convincing! Still the flower you show is quite freakish. It's doing some peloricism?
Peter T.


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## Drorchid (Apr 1, 2009)

neo-guy said:


> You were quite convincing! Still the flower you show is quite freakish. It's doing some peloricism?
> Peter T.



Yes, it is a peloric flower. It was the only one on that stem, so something must have happened when the flower got formed.

Robert


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## NYEric (Apr 1, 2009)

WHat is the cross, brasiliense x fischeri?


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## Drorchid (Apr 1, 2009)

No, it is a straight Phrag. longifolium var. hinksianum ('Fernbrook' x self).

Robert


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## goldenrose (Apr 1, 2009)

:rollhappy: :rollhappy:  :rollhappy: :rollhappy:


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## Orchidzrule (Apr 1, 2009)

Enjoyed reading this thread. It's quite convincing as a cross between a Phrag & a Porro. I even wondered if it had been photoshopped, but concluded it was really what the flower looked like. Thanx for the laugh!


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## Ernie (Apr 1, 2009)

I was thinking to myself "man, some things should just be left alone" then realized the date. 

-Ernie


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## Rick (Apr 1, 2009)

It would be cool if Poroglosums were as big as Phrags!


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## biothanasis (Apr 1, 2009)

:rollhappy::clap::rollhappy::clap:


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## smartie2000 (Apr 2, 2009)

neat peloric too, the thing was convincing


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## TyroneGenade (Apr 2, 2009)

Just as well this was a joke. That flower was hideous. Dreadful to think so much money might have been wasted doing somatic fusion to produce that monstrosity. Though that is a lovely Phrag. longifolium var. hinksianum.

tt4n


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## slippertalker (Apr 2, 2009)

You got me on that one........LOL. Too bad that you don't actually have such an article in the April magazine. It reminds of one years ago in April where the author described an incredible cattleya found in South America that was 10 feet tall, and in fact showed a picture of a man standing on a ladder with a tape measure getting the dimensions of the flower. It looked like a gigantic C. loddigesii. The story explained that the plant was lost in a plane crash.

Of course, many took it seriously and wondered where they could get such a plant......:rollhappy:


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## NYEric (Apr 2, 2009)

Rubes!


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## SlipperFan (Apr 2, 2009)

Robert, your jargon was very convincing -- except that I've had some weird blooms not unlike that one. Great joke, however!


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## PaphMadMan (Apr 2, 2009)

SlipperFan said:


> Robert, your jargon was very convincing -- except that I've had some weird blooms not unlike that one. Great joke, however!



This one was a joke, but the concept of a protoplast fusion/somatic hybrid is possible, but paph/phrag or paph/cyp might be a more realistic goal.


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## Clark (Apr 2, 2009)

Frankenstein lives!!!


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## snow (Apr 3, 2009)

well you caught me hook, line and sinker.
i was getting diszy just by the thought.
good joke.


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## Drorchid (Apr 3, 2009)

PaphMadMan said:


> This one was a joke, but the concept of a protoplast fusion/somatic hybrid is possible, but paph/phrag or paph/cyp might be a more realistic goal.



I agree. A "Pomato" actually does exist, and they got that through somatic fusion of tomato and potato protoplasts. The trick is however to get the somatic hybrid to grow and make a viable plant. As Potatoes and Tomatoes are closely related, they were able to grow out the hybrid into a viable plant. If the species are too far apart you won't be able to do that (due to incompatibility of genes etc) so you will never be able to fuse a Cattleya with a Paphiopedilum, and grow out the somatic hybrid. But if they are closely related like a Paphiopedilum and a Cypripedium I think it is theoretically possible.

Robert


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## CodPaph (Apr 7, 2009)

Well I particularly admire his ability and technology, but I think that cross different genres, it would lose control of everything that is known about orchids


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## berrywoodson (Apr 9, 2009)

*Eric Young*

About fifteen to twenty years ago, Eric Young had a standing offer of $50K for anyone who develops this fusion.

Too bad you did not suceed then but still this is an immensely important development.I would almost certainly inform them at the EY Center about this great leap foward ( I do not mean this in a Leninist sense either).

Send me a roth. with blue striation on an orange background with a seven inch DS.


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