Sport or reversion?

11 years ago

My last post about Gypsy Rose got me wondering how you tell a sport from a reversion that has the same/similar coloring?

For example- the gypsy rose in my other post has a green division that could be a reversion to its original parentage several generations back (Fortunei Hyacinthina) or it could be a named all green sport called "let me entertain you". I also have Alex Summers that has thrown off 2 all yellow divisions- if I consider it a reversion is Gold regal and if its a sport it summer olympics.

So for my stupid question- how do you tell a sport from a reversion when they are of similar color?

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Comments (5)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
its not a stupid question..

and frankly .... there is no fer sure answer ... that i committed to memory anyway ...

lots of manure quality BS ... but frankly.. i would challenge anyone to prove what they heard.. read.. or were told ...

unless some nuclear scientist comes along with the definitive provable answer ... but i might even argue with him on it .... rather than defer ...

ken
lsuhostafreak
Original Author
11 years ago
Do people just name reversions a new name so that they can register it? Surely someone really makes sure its a "unique" hosta.

At least with alex summers Gold regal appears to be crinkled and summer olympics seems smooth. But time will tell as crinkling can take years to fully develop
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one of the base issues with TC ...... back in the olden days.. if you had OS stock ... it was presumably cut off gold regal ... and since all Originators Stock came from that one cutting .... we could presume it was GR .... but now that TCers name every freakin derivation on the theme.. and then name them.. who the heck knows.. basically.. the bottom line... its not worth the money for the tests ... to do anything but guess ...' if i were you.. and presuming you arent going to register it .. and sell it... i would just call it GR .... unless as noted.. over the years.. it seems to be something else .... but not the hosta named something else ... lol ... why not call it lanalinda gold??? ken
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hostaLes
11 years ago
I fully believe you are right, Ken. What we call a sport could very well be nothing more than a regressive gene popping out every once in a while. I have a cousin who had red hair; not too unusual for someone of strong Irish heritage. But no one else in the family has red hair. Was Charles a "sport" or was he showing a regressive gene?
I am more inclined to believe sports are created by regressive genes that could be in either parent plant. It may have been introduced 500 years ago!

Does it make a difference? I don't see where it would. If it is so rare it seems "new" and you like it - nourish it. Our little treasures are so genetically corrupted it isn't like we are saving an endangered species.

So you have H. plantaginea growing in your garden. How are you going to protect against cross-pollination, thereby preserving a species? We can't grow our hostas in individual bubbles, can we?

That's just my viewpoint.

Les
glosgarden
11 years ago
lsuhostafreak, In answer to your question on your last post.
No, there is no one making sure it is a "unique' hosta.
As I understand it you just cannot use a name that has already been used.
Gloria
Pieter zone 7/8 B.C.
11 years ago
According to the AHS Dictionary of Hosta Terms:

REVERT - (in Hosta) the change of a variegated sport back to its original solid colored predecessor.

SPORT - an individual arising from the result of mutation or chimeral rearrangement that is genotypically or phenotypically different from the original individual.

To me, a reversion means reverting to what it sported from. For example, 'Revolution' has a penchant for all-green shoots. They are sports, not reversions, because 'Revolution' came out of a variegated cultivar, 'Loyalist'.

Follow along with me: 'Revolution' came out of 'Loyalist' which came out of 'Patriot' which came out of 'Francee' which came out of 'Fortunei Hyacinthina' and out of that long lineage the only solid coloured one is the last one. And this green sport doesn't much look like 'Fortunei Hyacinthina'.

Pieter

Sport or reversion?

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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

lsuhostafreak
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Sport or reversion?

Comments (5)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

lsuhostafreakOriginal Author

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hostaLes

glosgarden

Pieter zone 7/8 B.C.

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lsuhostafreak
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