Mistakes can occur each time plant cells divide and these mistakes are called mutations. These mutations may result in a change in the expression domains of the structural genes. We know that the multipetal trait is recessive and because of the significant lack of uniformity in its expression (multipetal plants can have flowers on the same scape with four, six, seven, eight, ten, twelve and even fourteen tepals), it is highly probably that it is the result of a mutation.

Crossing two multipetals means that the offspring inherit one of each of the parents pair of recessive mutated genes. Here is where real complications start to happen. If as a result of this cross the mutated genes are at different locus points and the mutated gene pairs up with a normal gene, then the recessive mutation is blocked (normal six tepal flowers) or if it partially pairs up then it may be partially blocked (variable numbers of tepals).

We are trying through our breeding efforts to stabilise the trait. No one in the world has achieved this yet. Knowing the genetic background of a multipetal plant is crucial to understanding the extent to which the plant may produce siblings with the trait. Just because the parent plants are multipetal do not assume that it will produce many multipetal siblings. Most of our multipetal orange seed crosses are at least third generation. Pastel multipetal seed crosses are believed to be only second generation. 

Some may believe that they have a multipetal because one or two of the flowers are multipetal. If you have an umbel that has only one or two flowers that are multipetal, look at where they are positioned in the umbel. If one or two multipetal flowers appear in the centre of umbel and the other flowers only have 6 tepals then these are not true multipetals and the multipetal flowers are not expected to have any different genetic information than the six tepal flowers. That is, they will not produce multipetal flowers but these plants may in subsequent flowering continue to produce one or two multipetal flowers.

If you have an umbel that has a majority of eight, ten, twelve, etc. tepals in the flowers then this would be a true multipetal. Almost all will have the same number of tepals and anthers in each flower. Often these multipetal flowers will have more than three lobed stigmas (for example, 8 tepals will often have 4 stigma points). Stigma points are a reflection of the general overall ratio of floral parts. They are fairly closely linked but their importance should not be overemphasized. Sometimes the style is spiral shape. If you have a true multipetal then it is expected that any of the flowers (six, eight, ten, twelve, etc. tepals) would contain the same genetic information and could be used to produce multipetals.

Given that multipetals are considered rare and breeding is considered unstable, multipetal plants in flower are seldom available and are expensive.  Purchasing seed offers a low cost alternative and depending on the genetic background of the parent plants various percentages of multipetal progeny may be expected, perhaps around 50% for our orange multipetal crosses.