What Do You Get When You Cross A .......

Have you ever wondered about the traits that you see in the violet you're entering in the show? How did the hybridizer get the Geneva Edge on that cultivar? You know, the plant that has those pretty purple flowers with the striking white edge. Are the "girl foliage" style leaves more common than the "boy" style?

Here's a brief and basic chart, graciously provided by Dr. Jeff Smith, that gives us an overview of the basic traits that are dominant and recessive in the African violet! I'd like to thank Dr. Smith for this information and Clay Anderson for the great cartoon that so nicely fits with our subject! Ever notice how "plant people" are the best when it comes to sharing information and help with regards to our horticultural hobby? Remember to send some comments and let these folks know that you appreciate their contributions!!!

African Violet Genetics

Dominant --- Recessive

Flower Traits:
Violet Shape ---Star Shape
Geneva Edges ---Solid Edges
Raspberry Edges --- Solid Edges
Fringed Edges---Non-fringed Edges
Fantasy Pattern---Solid Flowers
Double Flowers ---Single Flowers
Pale Colors---Dark Colors
Blue Flowers---All other colors
Red Flowers---Pink, White
Non-Coral colors---Coral family colors
Bluing Factor---Non-Bluing
Mottled Flowers ---Non-mottled flowers
Thumbprint Flowers--- Solid Flowers
Glitter factor ---Non-glitter

Leaf Traits:
Girl Foliage ---Boy Foliage
Ruffled Foliage---Plain Foliage
Plain Foliage---Spooned Foliage
Longifolia Shape--- Rounded Shape
Red Backing ---Green Backing
Watermelon ---Veins Plain Veins
Clackamus Veins ---Plain Veins
Solid Foliage---Lilian Jarrett Foliage (in part)

Plant Traits:
Small Size ---Normal Size
Non-trailing---Trailing

Maternal Traits: Tommie Lou and Crown Variegation, Lilian Jarrett Variegation (in part). Offspring will only show the trait if the seed parent had the trait.

The following list is the expected results from genetic crosses with dominant and recessive traits:

1. Dominant X Dominant
Result - all Dominant offspring or 75% Dominant and 25% Recessive

2. Dominant X Recessive
Result - all Dominant offspring or 50% Dominant and 50% Recessive

3. Recessive X Recessive
Result - all Recessive offspring

The percentages given for the offspring are approximate values. The actual results you get may vary considerably from these percentages.

Perry's Done Blooming

Perry's flowering is all but done! They cut a window into Perry to show what the flowers and pollen looked like... the first blown-up photo has the male parts of the flower on top, and the female parts lower down. The smaller photo shows the edge of the cut-out. The cut out portion of the spathe was quite thick and described like this: "So: the base of Perry’s spathe consists, in a conceptual manner, of an outer thin layer of tough celery, followed by a thick inner layer of slightly pliable styrofoam, and lined with a thin, hard, stiff waxy layer."












Now Perry has started to wither and collapse. The flowering is done, but then it is expected that the largest leaf (when fully grown) to be found in Minnesota will emerge. The college is planning to keep at least one web cam on Perry to watch the leaf emerge. This is cool stuff!!!