There are at least three genetic types of yellow Clivia miniata: Group 1; Group 2; and Non-1, Non-2. The latter group, Non-1 Non-2, is not well know so far. There may be several different genetic groups in the Non-1 Non-2 category.

Some of the following classifications are well established, but many -- especially some of the Group 2 classifications -- are tentative at present.

Group 1	Group 2	Non-1 Non-2
Kirstenbosch Yellow	Cynthia Giddy Yellow (Natal Yellow B)	Oribi Gorge Yellow
Eshowe Yellow	Floradale Transkei Yellow	Mvuma Yellow
Solomone Yellows	Cynthia's Best	Ndwedwe Alpha Thurston
Vico Yellow (descended from Eshowe Yellow)	Dwesa yellow (from Transkei)	Ndwedwe Beta Thurston
Noyce's Yellow	Tsolo Yellow (from Transkei)	Ndwedwe Gamma Peach
Karkloof Yellow	van Niekerk's 'Cynthia's Dream' strain	Anna Meyer Peach
Jim Holmes Yellows	Conway's 'Sunrise Sunset' ?	Naude Peach
Howick Yellow (possibly very pale peach?)
Conway's 'Megan'
Chubb's Peach
Reeds / Gail Peach
Lotters Peach (split for yellow)
de Villiers Variegated Peach (split for yellow)
Conway's 'Tessa' ?	Conway's 'Tessa' ?
Victorian Peach ?	Victorian Peach ?
Vic Daniels Yellows?	Vic Daniels Yellows?
Cameron Peach ?	Cameron Peach ?
San Marcos Yellows ?

Group 1 Yellows are characterized by yellow flowers with no red, orange, or pink pigment. When a group 1 yellow is crossed with another group 1 yellow, all the offspring have yellow flowers when they bloom.

Group 2 Yellows are characterized by yellow flowers which may also show some light red, orange, or pink markings when wounded or rain-spattered. When a group 2 yellow is crossed with another group 2 yellow, all the offspring have yellow flowers when they bloom.

When any group 1 yellow is crossed with any group 2 yellow, all the seedlings from this cross will have pigmented flowers, orange, pink, apricot, or rose in color.

Both group 1 and group 2 can also have peach colored flowers. When a group 1 peach is crossed with a group 1 yellow, the offspring are all peach in color. Similarly, when a group 2 peach is crossed with a group 2 yellow, the offspring are also peach in color. In such cases, the offspring are said to be "split for yellow." That is, at the group 2 gene locus, one chromosome carries a peach gene and the other chromosome of the pair carries the yellow gene.

An interesting side note is that the gene(s) controlling leaf width seem to be located on the same chromosome as the group 1 color gene.

I'm indebted to Mick Dower, Cape Town, for providing much of the information in this page. Thanks, Mick!

Jim Shields
Shields Gardens Ltd.

For some discussion of genes and color genetics, see:

For information on growing clivia plants at home:

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