Abstract
VOL. 8 of Herbertia, the year-book for 1941 of the American Amaryllis Society (Pp. 180. Hamilton P. Traub (editor), Orlando, Florida), includes several short papers of scientific interest. W. M. James and F. T. Addicott have studied the causes of sterility in interspecific crosses within the genus Nerine, and find a possible explanation in the presence of extra chromosomes in some parents. There appears to be no correlation between chromosome numbers and flowering period, though there is a sharply marked geographical difference between early flowering species and later blooming kinds. J. Marion Shull shows that early flowering species of Hemerocallis have made their flower initials by the previous autumn, whereas later flowering kinds have no floral initiation at that time. “Food Manufacture and Flowering in the Daffodil”, by Dr. John Grainger, relates climate, photosynthesis and flower formation. It is found that floral initiation begins when carbohydrate content of the bulb is maximal. The daffodil appears to provide a very efficient photosynthetic mechanism, and its carbohydrate is completely mobile. Optimum conditions for photosynthesis are provided by a high daily average of sunshine and a relatively low average temperature between 40° and 50° F. Albert W. Close directs attention to the use of sphagnum moss for the germination of seeds of difficult species, and the method has the advantage of almost eliminating the damping-off disease. Numerous shorter papers give information on various Amaryllid clones, their combination in breeding, and practical culture. The Society's score-card method for the horticultural evaluation of daylilies has been extended to Florida by John V. Watkins, Hamilton P. Traub and Wyndham Hayward.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Horticultural Work on the Amaryllidaceae. Nature 150, 232 (1942). https://doi.org/10.1038/150232c0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/150232c0