What are hybrid plants?

Question

What are they and why are they there?

Answer 1

An plant that is the offspring of two parents that differ in one or more inheritable characteristics, especially the offspring of two different varieties of the same species or the offspring of two parents belonging to different species.

A lot of ornamental plants like orchids or roses are hybrids.

They are breded to find new flowers with special qualities like fragrance, a new color or a new figure f.e.

Breeding crop hybrids helps to create pest-resistance, longer storage, better taste ( apples, strawberries etc ) f.e.

Here you find photos from orchid hybrids:

http://www.orchidspecies.com/hybrid.htm

18 hours later:

Thank you! I'm glad I could help.

Answer 2

there is no such thing because hybrid means two different gens from one parent and to be hybrid you have to have sexual reproduction which plants cant do because they are asexual.

Answer 3

The what they are is simple two answer.

Hybrid

an offspring of two animals or plants of different races, breeds, varieties, species, or genera

To confuse the subject, temperate Drosera (a genus of carnivorous plants) can be hybridized yet most will produce infertile off spring unless humans interfere with their chemicals.

How ever all Sarracenia (another genus of carnivorous plants) can readily hybridize and create fertile offspring that can be further crossed.

Why are they there? Why are we here? Not as easy to answer. Some hybrids are and or can only be created by human intervention, saving pollen from one species to introduce to another when it is in bloom is an example and the answer for that would be "Because a human wanted it".

Hybrids in nature can have many reasons for happening some accidental like a bee having a grain of pollen stuck to it until it transfers to a later blooming species.

Another reason could just simply be because of natural selection IE two compatible species my eventually bring about a more successful hybrid.