Deviant Valerian #1

[Stephenb]

Prompted by the mention of Valerian in the wildlife thread, I am posting a few pictures of deviant Valerians for your amusement/comment.

Last summer I was taking part in a local flora mapping project in our local area, mapping 1x1 km square areas. Together with 4 botanists we were out registering plants in the middle of a bog when I noticed something white amidst the green. Upon closer examination it turned out to be a variegated Valeriana sambucifolia ssp  procurrens. The botanists with me hardly batted an eyelid at my discovery, but this was for me the most interesting plant all day . I took the variegated bit with me home. Unlike Valeriana officinalis, sambucifolia (considered by some to be a subspecies) is a very invasive plant in a garden (as I discovered many years ago), sending out long runners both below and above ground (I’ve long given up trying to remove my original introduction).

I’ve constrained it to a pot and I show a few pictures below. Its variegation is, as you can hopefully see, almost completely symmetric . The leaflets on one side of the compound leaf are completely creamy white and normal green on the other side. Close examination also shows that the leaf stem is also white on one side. The plant has sent out runners in two opposite directions, stopped by the edge of the pot. In one direction they are creamy white and in the other direction normal green. I presume the white shoots wouldn’t survive long in nature as, lacking chlorophyll would be weaker and only the mother plant would be variegated. Is it possible to propagate this plant? Several visitors to the garden have asked if they could have a bit! Will be interesting to see what the seedlings will be like (it hasn’t flowered yet).

[mark smyth]

People will either love it or hate it. I like what has happened

My book says take basal cuttings in spring.

You could make a lot of money from this plant. How long have you had it?

[Stephenb]

I found it last summer!

Does this mean that I can retire?

[mark smyth]

Maybe. Would you like me to show your photos to someone who might know if you can make some money from your find?

Photos 1, 2 and 4 look better turned anti clockwise.

[Ragged Robin]

Stephen, I really like this curious Valerian and am intrigued by the half and half nature of the plant as one side sets the other side off to great effect - I assume the flower is insignificant? 

[mark smyth]

Half-sider budgies look like this
http://www.budgieplace.com/v_halfsider2.jpg

[Ragged Robin]

Is that a budget budgie for those who can't make up their mind which colour to have Mark?

[Paul T]

Mark,

I never realised they had Budgies that did that!!    You sure they didn't just cut 2 in half and graft the opposite bits together? 

Stephen,

Your assymetrical variegation is fascinating.  I guess that if you've got shoots from one side that are white and shoots from the other that are green.... you have to hope for shoots that emerge along the split, to perpetuate the variegation in it's current form.  Amazing that the whole plant seems to be so perfectly halved in chlorophyll production.  It really does look like the only way to propagate it is to hope that there are shoots that appear at the right point on the base to inherit the half and half gene.  It would be an amazing plant if you could "fix" it to keep itself like that.  Good luck with being able ot get similar new plants from it.... there'd be a lot of variegation collectors that would just love it!!

[mark smyth]

Shouldn't really talk about budgies in this thread but they are extremely rare and infertile

[Stephenb]

Maybe. Would you like me to show your photos to someone who might know if you can make some money from your find?

Photos 1, 2 and 4 look better turned anti clockwise.

Yes, go ahead - it would be interesting to know....

Have also rotated the pictures and brightened them a bit.

Thanks

Stephen

[cohan]

Prompted by the mention of Valerian in the wildlife thread, I am posting a few pictures of deviant Valerians for your amusement/comment.

Last summer I was taking part in a local flora mapping project in our local area, mapping 1x1 km square areas. Together with 4 botanists we were out registering plants in the middle of a bog when I noticed something white amidst the green. Upon closer examination it turned out to be a variegated Valeriana sambucifolia ssp  procurrens. The botanists with me hardly batted an eyelid at my discovery, but this was for me the most interesting plant all day . I took the variegated bit with me home. Unlike Valeriana officinalis, sambucifolia (considered by some to be a subspecies) is a very invasive plant in a garden (as I discovered many years ago), sending out long runners both below and above ground (I’ve long given up trying to remove my original introduction).

I’ve constrained it to a pot and I show a few pictures below. Its variegation is, as you can hopefully see, almost completely symmetric . The leaflets on one side of the compound leaf are completely creamy white and normal green on the other side. Close examination also shows that the leaf stem is also white on one side. The plant has sent out runners in two opposite directions, stopped by the edge of the pot. In one direction they are creamy white and in the other direction normal green. I presume the white shoots wouldn’t survive long in nature as, lacking chlorophyll would be weaker and only the mother plant would be variegated. Is it possible to propagate this plant? Several visitors to the garden have asked if they could have a bit! Will be interesting to see what the seedlings will be like (it hasn’t flowered yet).

interesting plant--odd variegation!
i recently found  a small variegated willow and have a cutting of it going... not as odd as yours, but first natural variegate i have ever found

[mark smyth]

Stephen I have a reply. Keep your plnt for one more year. I'll send you the reply later

[Stephenb]

Unfortunately it doesn't look like I'll be able to retire quite yet. The central symmetrically variegated plant has disappeared and all that is left are small weakly growing creamy white shoots on one side of the pot and normal vigorous green on the other side.

Mark: Curious what the reply was - I don't think you sent it..

[mark smyth]

Forgotten now, sorry. I'll try and find it.