Rhododendron 'Miniatum Floribundum', which is a prior to 1855 Alexander Verschaffelt Ghent hybrid, has been determined to be a diploid 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.
To date 'Miniatum Floribundum' is the only Ghent hybrid that has tested as diploid. 'Miniatum Floribundum' appears to bloom later than most Ghent hybrids.
'Miniatum Floribundum' is often referred to as 'Miniata Floribunda' or Rhododendron miniatum floribundum indicating this may be a natural hybrid rather than a man made hybrid.
Summary of Ploidy Levels
Diploid 'Miniatum Floribundum',
Triploid 'Aida',
Triploid 'Bronze Unique',
Triploid 'Croceum Tricolor',
Triploid 'Daviesii',
Triploid 'Deep Rose',
Triploid 'Freya',
Triploid 'Gloria Mundi',
Triploid 'Il Tasso',
Triploid 'Josephine Klinger',
Triploid 'Phebe',
Triploid 'Phidias',
Triploid 'Pontica Album',
Triploid 'Van Houttei Flore Pleno',
Triploid 'Velasquez',
Tetraploid 'Admiraal De Ruyter',
Tetraploid 'Altaclerensis',
Tetraploid 'Ariel',
Tetraploid 'Beaté Céleste',
Tetraploid 'Bijou des Amateurs',
Tetraploid 'Bouquet de Flore',
Tetraploid 'Cardinal,
Tetraploid 'Comte de Flandre',
Tetraploid 'Corneille',
Tetraploid 'Directeur Charles Baumann',
Tetraploid 'Durante Alle',
Tetraploid 'Electum',
Tetraploid 'Eugénie',
Tetraploid 'Fénelon',
Tetraploid 'Flameola Incarnata',
Tetraploid 'Héroine Plena,
Tetraploid 'Heureuse Surprise',
Tetraploid 'Ignacea',
Tetraploid 'Julius Caesar',
Tetraploid 'Lelia',
Tetraploid 'Madame Gustave Guillemot',
Tetraploid 'Nancy Waterer',
Tetraploid 'Oscar I',
Tetraploid 'Raphael de Smet'
Source: Azaleatuin
John and Sally Perkins
