North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[buretachi@juno.com]

 

I ran across this while looking up CHE information and remembered that this hybrid was mentioned on the list:

 

ON THE POSSIBLE NON-EXISTENCE OF MACLUDRANIA

Author(s):

SANTAMOUR JR FRANK S
SPONGBERG STEPHEN A
RIEDEL GERTRUDE H

Interpretive Summary:

All too frequently, statements or reports in the older botanical-hortic- ultural literature are repeated as gospel by successive generations. This is especially true when the plant species in question are not commercially important. Thus, the 1905 report of the creation of the intergeneric hybrid Macludrania hybrida by crossing the U.S. native Osage- orange with Cudrania tricuspidata has been noted in the literature for many years. Our controlled pollinations between these species failed to produce any seed and indicated that such a cross was unlikely. Of more importance, perhaps, was the discovery and proof that Osage-orange could be apomictic and produce viable seed without pollination or fertilization. Therefore, we would have to conclude that true intergeneric hybrids were not produced in the late 1800's and that the plants currently known and grown as Macludrania hybrida and which are morphologically similar to Osage-orange, arose as apomictic seedlings of Maclura pomifera.

Keywords:

landscape trees pest resistance genetic improvement

Contact:

U.S. NATIONAL ARBORETUM,
3501 NEW YORK AVE., N. E.
WASHINGTON
DC 20002
FAX:
Email:

Approved Date: 1999-08-25

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TEKTRAN
United States Department of Agriculture
Agricultural Research Service

Updated: 1999-10-13