Pollinating Orchid with its own pollen?

[aribh123]

Would pollinating an orchid with its own pollen give you seeds that would grow into the exact same pant? For example if i have a phal. bellina and i pollinate it with pollen from its own flower, would the seeds be for phal. bellina?

Any help is appreciated, thanks !!

[ksriramkumar]

Yes. result would Phal bellina but would not be exact same plant (Genetics).

[Chris in Hamilton]

You would have some variation in the offspring. Some plants might be larger, some might have smaller flowers or be stronger than others. I'd like to know what makes a grower (small scale) decide which 25 or so he's going to keep out of possible hundreds before they flower.

[PaphMadMan]

The same goes for a hybrid. If you self-pollinate Phalaenopsis Samera the seedlings are still called Phalaenopsis Samera, but with more even more variation expected than when a species like Phalaenopsis bellina is self-pollinated. They are "the same" as the parent, but not genetically or visibly identical.

[aribh123]

So then how do growers mass produce species orchids for sale? Would they use pollen from a different plant but same species? Or would that be the same as self-pollinating?

[Chris in Hamilton]

So then how do growers mass produce species orchids for sale? Would they use pollen from a different plant but same species? Or would that be the same as self-pollinating?

No, self pollinated is self explanatory. Pollinating two different plants would be cross pollination. I'm not sure how the big growers produce the massive numbers they do but there are some online videos regarding "ice orchid" Phalaenopsis put out by one of the big box hardware stores that just about make me ill

[PaphMadMan]

Selected forms of species are sometimes cloned just as selected hybrids are. Many orchids are produced by seed though, both species and hybrids. They don't need to be identical to be desirable. Virtually all slipper orchids are grown from seed for instance, Paphiopedilums and Phragmipediums, because they can't be cloned in large numbers like most orchids, but also many others. Some seed grown orchids are from self-pollination and others are outcrosses (between unrelated plants). You get all variations in commercial production at different times, for different purposes.

[aribh123]

So is cloning the only way to achieve a plant that is identical to it's parent (has same visible traits)? From what I understand its not possible to get seeds that will grow into plants that are identical to the parent or at least not 100% of the seeds will be identical. I guess it makes sense because with sexual reproduction, you always have 2 parents so you will get mixed genetics of both plants.

[PaphMadMan]

So is cloning the only way to achieve a plant that is identical to it's parent (has same visible traits)? From what I understand its not possible to get seeds that will grow into plants that are identical to the parent or at least not 100% of the seeds will be identical. I guess it makes sense because with sexual reproduction, you always have 2 parents so you will get mixed genetics of both plants.

Even with a single parent (self pollination) you get differences because there is always genetic variability within that parent, dominant and recessive traits that can sort out differently in the next generation. So yes, cloning is the only way to propagate plants identical to the original but that includes divisions, keikis or cuttings as well as laboratory cloning.

[aribh123]

Even with a single parent (self pollination) you get differences because there is always genetic variability within that parent, dominant and recessive traits that can sort out differently in the next generation. So yes, cloning is the only way to propagate plants identical to the original but that includes divisions, keikis or cuttings as well as laboratory cloning.

Thank you, that clarifies it a lot!