Dahlias
Note: I have uploaded 42 pictures of dahlias (out of the hundreds that I have collected over the years.) Six of them are on this page. The remaining 36 are on another page. If you want to see them click on this link and let them download while you read the rest of this post.
The dahlia is a native of Mexico. Although they were discovered by 16th century Spanish conquistadors, it was not until 200 years later that seeds and tubers were brought back to Madrid - as a food source. The Mexicans had used the tubers much the same way that we use potatoes nowadays. The tubers and seeds spread all over Europe but never became popular as potato substitutes. In 1770 it was named "Dahlia" in honor of the 18th century Swedish botanist, Anders Dahl, who was a pupil of Linnaeus, the father of modern botany.
Horticulturalists began to experiment with the flowers in the early 1800s. Double and triple blooms were developed but it was not until a box of dahlia tubers were sent from Mexico to Holland in 1872 that what we know as the modern dahlia was born. Only one tuber in the whole box survived but it turned out to be an unusual red "sport" with pointed instead of rounded petals. The Dutch interbred it with the hybrids that they had developed so far and the rest is history. The dahlia is now grown in gardens all over the world.
The dahlia is probably the most "artificial" of all garden flowers in that the flowers that we know today are nothing like the simply potato-like tuber that originated in Mexico. Horticulturalists have produced thousands of cultivars in every shape, size and color imaginable. The reason that dahlias can produce so many variations is because they are octoploids; that is they have eight sets of homologous chromosomes, whereas most plants have only two.
The first picture shows what the original dahlia species looks like. From this plain white flower came thousands of cultivars. The next five pictures give you some idea of the different shapes, sizes and colors. They are all large files and can be clicked to enlarge. The remaining 36 pics are on another page. If you haven't opened that page yet but are now curious to see them, click here.
The dahlia is a native of Mexico. Although they were discovered by 16th century Spanish conquistadors, it was not until 200 years later that seeds and tubers were brought back to Madrid - as a food source. The Mexicans had used the tubers much the same way that we use potatoes nowadays. The tubers and seeds spread all over Europe but never became popular as potato substitutes. In 1770 it was named "Dahlia" in honor of the 18th century Swedish botanist, Anders Dahl, who was a pupil of Linnaeus, the father of modern botany.
Horticulturalists began to experiment with the flowers in the early 1800s. Double and triple blooms were developed but it was not until a box of dahlia tubers were sent from Mexico to Holland in 1872 that what we know as the modern dahlia was born. Only one tuber in the whole box survived but it turned out to be an unusual red "sport" with pointed instead of rounded petals. The Dutch interbred it with the hybrids that they had developed so far and the rest is history. The dahlia is now grown in gardens all over the world.
The dahlia is probably the most "artificial" of all garden flowers in that the flowers that we know today are nothing like the simply potato-like tuber that originated in Mexico. Horticulturalists have produced thousands of cultivars in every shape, size and color imaginable. The reason that dahlias can produce so many variations is because they are octoploids; that is they have eight sets of homologous chromosomes, whereas most plants have only two.
The first picture shows what the original dahlia species looks like. From this plain white flower came thousands of cultivars. The next five pictures give you some idea of the different shapes, sizes and colors. They are all large files and can be clicked to enlarge. The remaining 36 pics are on another page. If you haven't opened that page yet but are now curious to see them, click here.
posted by Joubert at 9:56 AM
The Alliance
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