No, doubles are in that direction a dead end. But some still have functional anthers, so you can apply "double-pollen" to single varieties. The outcome will most likely have single blooms, at least the crosses where that I've seen till now with a double involved. But in the next generation there should be 1 double for each 4 offsprings ... if Mendel's right ;)

Depends on your luck. I have been quite lucky. Do not get disheartened.

so does that mean that 'double' is a recessive trait?

so if pollen for a double (double x double) is coupled with a pure single (single x single) then you will get double x SINGLE (with 'single' dominant and double recessive), but if you then put double pollen on this version you could potentially get double x double (50%)?
the other variation of course being double x SINGLE (50%).

Is this the way it works, or am I just confusing things? or does it depend on the hybrid?

Man, I hate being such a wet blanket!

I remember reading an article in Scientific American or Smithsonian magazines some years ago where the authors were investigating the genetic basis of flower development in thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) which is the botanist's equivalent of the fruit fly. If I am remembering the article correctly, and if it applies to Hippes, then it requires 3-4 recessive genes to produce a fully double flower. Best case scenario: one out of 64 F1 seedlings will be fully double. Worst case: one out of 256! So treasure that double seedling, Brig!

On the bright side, it actually may be easier for Hippes to make double flowers since the "sepals" are virtually identical to the "petals". There should also be a lot of semi-doubles and anemone forms in the batch--plus a few weirdos with extra stamens and multi-lobed stigmas.

Kevin : ]

Some doubles show more variability than others,in their production of sexual flower parts. Most will produce some pollen,even if the filiments and anthers are incorporated into the edge of a flower petal.Some will produce styles and stigmas and will be female fertile a few times out of hundreds. Some doubles will produce a single petaled flower at times, which will have both fertile male and female parts.
Pasadena quite often is female fertile. Dancing Queen rarely has female flower parts,nor have I seen it make a single.
The more bulbs you have of a particular variety,the greater the chance that you will see female fertility in the flowers,and the greater the chance that you will see single flowers on their scapes,which are male and female fertile.
It also seems that the warmer the weather the greater the chance of there being larger numbers of singles on double varieties.
Del

Oops!

I goofed and wrote "F1" when I meant "F2" on my last post.

Very sorry!
Kevin : /

Dear Dancacti,
it won't be 50-50.
As I remember from biology,
If double is a recessive trait, then crossing of two 2nd generations:
DxS crossed with DxS
will result in
25% DxD (pure double)
50% DxS (mixed again, so, single again)
25% SxS (pure single)
I don't know if it can actually work this way, it's just pure theory.
Best regards!

Thank you for all your replies. The other day I actually did find one anther in a double Nymph blossom with a bit of pollen on it, so I tried to pollinate a Benfica blossom with it. The Nymph blossom had actually gotten broken off and had opened the rest of the way in a cup of water, so I don't know how good the pollen would be, either. The idea of dominant vs. recessive had never even occurred to me, so thanks for that information. Now if I do ever get any successful crosses, I won't be all disappointed when only 25% are doubles. I do have some seed pods forming on some of my crosses of singles, so I hope this new interest doesn't crowd me out of my home! Northwoodswis

Plant as much seeds in lines as possible. You can choose the strongest later on, put them in a warm and bright spot and don't let them dry out.

But remember that hotsummer wrote that you'd probably have 25% doubles in the second generation. Chances are really low that they'll occur in the first one! So don't get your hopes up too high ... you've got to realize that you're perhaps going to wait for 5 or 6 years until you'll be seeing your first own crossed double bloom ...

You might increase your chances by crossing (single x double) x double

I'm myself not too fond of doubles, but I like the idea of a Benfica-darkred-coloured double bloom. Keep going, that's at last an interesting experiment! :)

I was able to get a seed pod by crossing some Nymph pollen with Clown. I floated the seeds on water and had nearly 100% germination. Now I have planting the sprouts in starter mix and have set them outside on the deck for the summer. Waiting for them to grow bulbs reminds me of waiting for my pear tree to get fruit, however! Northwoodswis

hi if you want a double take the doble pollen and put it onto a single flower about 30% will be double flowers from your seedlings good luck danny

I have found a number of first generation doubles - unfortunately I'm not always sure of the parents as the labels got blown away. With Benfica pollinated with Dancing Queen pollen, some were more or less single, while others had funny extra bits like this one:

{{gwi:396410}}

and some were more or less full double, like these ones:

{{gwi:396411}}

Red and white mothers pollinated presumably with Dancing Queen did show a great variety of types - some with huge single flowers (full 7 inches across) striped approximately like the smaller parent:

{{gwi:396412}}

and some with interesting double forms:

{{gwi:396413}}

{{gwi:396414}}

Looking forward to this season's crop

Geoff

very nice specialy the last one.

I too am looking forward to seeing this year's crop!! You certainly do have a way (as well as Arif) with getting lovely doubles!!

Donna

I would not exclude, that actually the purest and "very" Double Hippeastrum hybrid even, will produce an "imperfect" floret occasionally which includes the female "organ" as "functionable". Thus, IMHO! the problem is slightly being SHIFTED to sheer number and CAREFUL Observation or... sheer LUCK!

Something surprised me today - the second scape of one of the hybrids showed significantly more doubling than the first scape. Here is the first scape a few days ago, more or less single with a couple of extra messy bits near the stigma:

{{gwi:396415}}

As the first scape's flowers fade, the second scape has now bloomed, and shows a good deal more doubling, as seen here:

{{gwi:396416}}

Geoff