Haworthia "PP525" tetraploid hybrid series #30 SOLD OUT
Description: Haworthia "PP525" hybrid series. This is the first tetraploid hybrid series I am offering for sale. A cross of a tetraploid picta and a tetraploid "cersei".
Polyploidy: Most organisms- humans, Haworthia- are diploid. This means they have 2 copies of each chromosome. Organisms with more than 2 chromosome sets are referred to as polyploid. In animals polyploidy usually is not viable but it's common in the plant kingdom. Polyploid organisms are further named depending on the exact number of chromosome sets: organisms with 4 copies of each chromosome are referred to as tetraploid, 6 copies referred to as hexaploid etc. In Haworthia polyploid pure species tend to be smaller and slower than normal while tetraploid hybrids are larger and more vigorous than normal. This kind of phenomenon, where inbreeding depression or hybrid vigor are increased is seen in other plants as well. Please note these plants will not produce viable seed if crossed to diploids but can produce viable seed if crossed to other tetraploids.
Prickly Pete breeding program:
I have been hybridizing Haworthia for close to 25 years. Most of my hybrids are multi-generational complex hybrids created from carefully selected parental stock. I breed to intensify and combine leaf and window coloration, leaf texture and leaf shape traits.
Leaf coloration is influenced by the interaction of the pigmentation of the leaf and the coloration and the windows. The windows can be clear or can have spots which vary in size. In hybrids the spotting often turns the entire window opaque. I strive for obtaining reds, pink, purple, orange, phosphorescent green and iridescent blue.
Leaf texture can be smooth or bumpy or bristly. In some of my hybrids I get red colored spines and bumps.
Haworthia can have many variations in leaf shape. I use plants like truncata in my breeding to introduce variations in leaf shape.
In 2005 I started numbering my crosses to keep track of them. So my numbers are labeled as PP#. For each PP cross there will be multiple siblings, all genetically unique individuals that will express slightly different traits. Therefore you will be obtaining a one-of-a-kind plant that no one else has. I hope you take good care of it. The seedlings will change as the age and pigmentation will usually intensify over time.