Rhododendron 'Markeeta's Prize', which is Markeeta Nursery hybrid documented as 'Loderi Venus' x 'Anna', has been determined to be a triploid using flow cytometry by
Dr. João Loureiro, Dr. Silvia Castro, José Cerca, and Mariana Castro
Plant Ecology and Evolution Group,
Centre for Functional Ecology,
Department of Life Sciences,
Faculty of Science and Technology,
University of Coimbra, Portugal.
In the case of triploid 'Markeeta’s Prize', a diploid crossed with a diploid produced a triploid indicating that unreduced meiosis most likely occurred for one of the diploid parents. In other words, 'Markeeta’s Prize' having 39 chromosomes most likely received 13 from one diploid parent and 26 chromosomes from the other diploid parent.
Rhododendron 'The Honorable Jean Marie de Montague' is known to throw unreduced gametes and Rhododendron 'Anna' has 'The Honorable Jean Marie de Montague' as a parent.
Summary of Ploidy Levels
Diploid 'Anna',
Diploid 'Loderi Venus',
Diploid 'Norman Gill',
Diploid 'The Honorable Jean Marie de Montague',
Triploid 'Markeeta's Flame',
Triploid 'Markeeta's Prize'
Source: Greer Gardens
John and Sally Perkins
