Merlot Lettuce (different colours)

[richardw]

Ive noticed for many years that Merlot will grow a different colours when grown outside and to those grown inside the tunnelhouse

The outside plants.

 

And the inside plants.



But yesterday i noticed these two plants in the outside lot that were lighter in colour, my first thoughts were that these were cross pollinated, but then ive never had any crossing in lettuces before, i'm now thinking that these two plants look more like there inside cousins i'm thinking is there maybe connection here??

[yankee]

The Merlot lettuce produces anthocyanins in response Blue-green and Ultraviolet wavelengths, kind of like putting on sunscreen. The tunnelhouse blocks some of these wavelengths and so anthocyanin production is not triggered in the plants. That's normal and expected. So even if the Merlot lettuce inside the tunnelhouse crossed with the Merlot lettuce outside the tunnelhouse they would still produce anthocyanins when grown outside.

What isn't normal is the two plants that aren't producing anthocyanins when exposed to the blue-green/ultraviolet wavelengths like they're supposed to. The leaf shapes are also different too, smooth edged instead of ruffled.

You most likely have a couple of lettuce mutants, not sure if they are dominant or recessive. I would cull them and make a salad before they go to flower, unless you want to experiment and let them go to flower.

[richardw]

You are right leaf shapes are different smooth edged instead of ruffled, so either a cross or a mutant, i'm tempted to lot them go to flower and see whet happens'

[richardw]

......just to add also, seems odd that there would be two alike side by side....

[steev]

Birds of a feather...

[yankee]

Nothing more than apophenia.