OMG!!!!! How beautiful!!! I have a few two year olds of this cross and I can't wait to see the blooms. Thank you for sharing.

I'm sure yours will also be worth the wait, Fred. I hope at least one of them gets around to blooming for you next year. I'm always surprised at the difference in performance between individuals of similar seedlings. The size of this plant compared to the smallest one in the grex is amazing. You would think there was years of difference between the two of them when looking at the growth of the plants.

Although I don't seem to be able to capture it very well in photos, the green on the back of the petals is quite lovely. In real life the green has a 'look' to it that is hard to describe, and with the contrast of the dark maroon ( deeper/darker than my camera usually shows ) it is very eye-catching......but what is this mystery growth at the base of the bulb? First I assumed it was an off-set coming through, but it doesn't look anything like other off-sets on this, or for that matter, any of my other plants. It's from the very base of the bulb. What is it?

...just another off-set?

looks like! I love this cross! Thanks a lot for sharing!

Hi Julie,

I've seen this before on some of my plants and it almost looks like it's trying to grow a "rhizome" but in no time, it turns into another offset. Keep us posted on it's progress.

Thank you both. That solves the mystery.

Fred, I'm glad you have seen similar. I will update as soon as it shows what it is turning into. Here it is a the moment...not a lot of change to the look of it, but a little further on it its growth. Certainly interesting.

Flowers have faded from this blooming now, and I self pollinated to see if it would take. The very early signs of swelling are visible, so I hope it continues.

I'm not very knowledgeable on genetics, so maybe someone could give me a bit of an idea on the outcome of these seeds - if they survive. As this is a first cross between Papilio x Mandonii, what is the most likely outcome of self pollinated seed of this plant? Possibly revert back a little to the look of the parents? Or look somewhat similar to the actual plant here? Or end up another random mix between Papilio x Mandonii?

Here is an update on this strange growth. Fred, you are so right, it really does look like a rhizome growing there. It is most unusual, and I keep waiting for the leaves to sprout, but so far it is only getting larger and larger!

Diploid Hippeastrums are mostly self-sterile. Regardless whether you will receive seed from your recent self-polllination or only seed from crosspollination of F1-siblings, of specimens of a primary hybrid that is, it is fair to expect, that you will obtain F2 seedlings which will mostly look similar to their F1-parents. I conclude this from numerous F2 seedlings of the original crossbreeding project H.cybister (Chico) x H.papilio. This project was originally intended for the creation of an H.papilio look-a-like with 4 or more flrets per umbel in the F2. Well, I DO obtain up to 6 florets per umbel, but it appears totally impossible to re-create the shape of the floret of H.papilio.

Hans-Werner, thank you for this knowledgeable and concise information. This is most helpful in extending my rather limited understanding of breeding diploids. The information will save much time and/or disappointment and help with any future pollination choices. Thank you for this. Much appreciated.

At long last the riddle is solved. Just as you advised, Fred, it has finally sprouted leaves - but even then, the leaves are much thicker and broader than is usual. I suppose in time it will go on to look and behave the same as any ordinary off-set bulb, but I will still keep an eye on it and watch how it matures.

A very unusual process!

Julie, thanks for keeping us updated with pics, it would be hard to describe without them! Did your selfing take?

Sadly, after a promising start, selfing did not take and what was good-looking seedpods started to wither. I will have to try crossing it next time.

Oh poop :-((((

Oh Julie, that is disappointing.

....yes, disappointing in that I don't have seeds to share of this one.......and pods were so promisingly large before they decided to keel over! I will try again next year, and also try crossing them. Hopefully some of it's siblings will also decide to flower at the same time. It will be interesting to compare flowers.

How are yours doing, Fred? Any sign of some buds for this year?

Hi Julie,

Nothing yet but I'm keeping my peepers peeled :-))))

Cannot wait for mine!

Me neither....I swear I look at the pot every day to see if anything new is happening. I feel kinda like a expectant father :-)))))

Wait, I actually have the reverse cross!

Do you have any pictures of how they're coming along?

Not yet, waiting