In a message dated 1/20/05 6:03:56 AM, Paul Wheeler writes:
What occurs if one of these "Natural Hybrids" upon reaching maturity and flowering manages to cross itself back to either of the natural parents?

This is called introgression. It happens all the time. It also happens in cultivation, either on purpose or inadvertently. It was first elucidated in the fascinating story of the Louisiana irises, which was researched in the late Nineteen Thirties. Sorry, I forgot the name of the book. Introgression is more likely to happen when the habitat is disturbed, thus opening up new ecological niches. That's what happened to the Jamaican Tolumnias.
Iris
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