'Lucky Strike' is a Triploid

Rhododendron 'Lucky Strike', which is Ted van Veen hybrid documented as R. griersonianum x 'Countess of Derby', 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 'Lucky Strike', a suspected diploid crossed with a tetraploid produced a triploid indicating that normal reduced meiosis most likely occurred for both parents. In other words, 'Lucky Strike' having 39 chromosomes received 13 chromosomes from the suspected diploid R. griersonianum and 26 chromosomes from the tetraploid 'Countess of Derby'.

Summary of Ploidy Levels

Triploid 'Anna Rose Whitney',
Triploid 'Lucky Strike',
Triploid 'Van',
Tetraploid 'Countess of Derby'

Source: Van Veen Nursery

John and Sally Perkins

'Van' is a Triploid

Rhododendron 'Van', which is van Veen introduced by Paul Greibnoween and Harold Greer and documented as R. griersonianum x 'Countess of Derby', 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 'Van', a suspected diploid crossed with a tetraploid produced a triploid indicating that normal reduced meiosis most likely occurred for both parents. In other words, 'Van' having 39 chromosomes received 13 chromosomes from the suspected diploid R. griersonianum and 26 chromosomes from the tetraploid 'Countess of Derby'.


Summary of Ploidy Levels

Triploid 'Anna Rose Whitney',
Triploid 'Lucky Strike',
Triploid 'Van',
Tetraploid 'Countess of Derby'

Source: Greer Gardens

John and Sally Perkins

'Kathy Van Veen' is a Diploid

Rhododendron 'Kathy Van Veen', which is a documented as a sport of 'The Honorable Jean Marie de Montague', 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.

Summary of Ploidy Levels

Diploid 'Kathy Van Veen',
Diploid 'The Honorable Jean Marie de Montague'

Source Marc Colombel

John and Sally Perkins

'Anna Rose Whitney' is a Fertile Triploid

Rhododendron 'Anna Rose Whitney', which is van Veen hybrid introduced by William Whitney and documented as R. griersonianum x 'Countess of Derby', 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.

'Anna Rose Whitney', which has 'Broughtonii', 'Pink Pearl', and 'Countess of Derby'
as ancestors, is the pollen parent of 'Hurricane'; however, like many (semi)fertile triploids 'Anna Rose Whitney' is reluctant to produce viable seedlings as either a seed or pollen parent.

In the case of triploid 'Anna Rose Whitney', a suspected diploid crossed with a tetraploid produced a triploid indicating that normal reduced meiosis most likely occurred for both parents. In other words, 'Anna Rose Whitney' having 39 chromosomes received 13 chromosomes from the suspected diploid R. griersonianum and 26 chromosomes from the tetraploid 'Countess of Derby'.

Summary of Ploidy Levels

Diploid 'Hurricane',
Triploid 'Broughtonii',
Triploid 'Pink Pearl',
Triploid 'Anna Rose Whitney',
Tetraploid 'Countess of Derby'

Source: Whitney Nursery

John and Sally Perkins

'Hurricane' is a Diploid

Rhododendron 'Hurricane', which is a William Whitney hybrid documented as 'Mrs Furnivall' x 'Anna Rose Whitney', 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.

Rhododendron 'Hurricane' has as ancestors 'Broughtonii', 'Cynthia', 'Pink Pearl', 'Countess of Derby', 'Mrs Furnivall', and 'Anna Rose Whitney'.

In the case of 'Hurricane', a diploid 'Mrs. Furnivall' crossed with a triploid 'Anna Rose Whitney' produced a diploid indicating 'Anna Rose Whitney' most likely contributed only a 1x gamete (13 chromosomes) to 'Hurricane'.

Summary of Ploidy Levels

Diploid 'Hurricane',
Diploid 'Mrs. Furnivall',
Triploid 'Anna Rose Whitney',
Triploid 'Broughtonii',
Triploid 'Cynthia',
Triploid 'Pink Pearl',
Tetraploid 'Countess of Derby'

Source: Whitney Nursery

John and Sally Perkins