But what's in a name?
Sativa means cultivated. And when you cultivate something how can you not select for traits? ask any farmer.. you use the strong animal to breed and use the seeds from the plant that produces the best or is more resistant.
Both names refer to species (as in family, genus, species). It's taxonomic classification. There once were
wild sativas, which defies the meaning of "sativa". Likewise, wild indicas.
Landrace means a cultivar by chance and nature? how long does is need to be like that, since forever? Is that indeed still possible with thousands of years of cultivation on this planet?
I learned from a landrace expert that landrace means strains cultivated by humans in a particular geographic region, over a period of centuries, and in some cases, millennia. They are not wild cannabis.
Genetically there's no sativa & indica.. so what are we really talking? a short & tall phenotype and how stable they are producing that type?
Well, I think what they are saying is they haven't found a genetic signature (in the genome—i.e. the DNA) that codes for sativa-specific traits or indica-specific traits (including morphology and perceived effects on the human mind and body). That doesn't necessarily mean the genetic coding isn't there. I mean, something is driving the morphology (size/shape of plant, shape of leaflets), and it's inherited from one generation to the next. So that would pretty much imply that it's genetic! As for effects, I believe terpenes play a major role in that, along with the THC/CBD ratios.
I know I wrote about this before on the forum here (I'd have to search for it), but... I think the closer the genetics are to pure, original sativa or indica, the less likely will be phenotypic differences in the offspring (provided no contamination by random pollen). Also, phenotypic stability can be created by successive inbreeding—i.e. an inbred seed line (IBL).
And where do those come from? different time zone? or one grown in lush forestry hence competing with other greenery, the other on a mountain, dry, harsh winds, prefers to be a stocky shrubbery.
But there's more as there are compound variations between strains, where do those come from? communication with other local flora? exposure times? UV differences?
I think what you are describing are environmental factors, and while there is some impact on the growth of the plant, by and large there won't be radical differences in appearance, cannabinoids, terpenes, etc., provided the soil, sunlight, water, and climate are conducive to a "good grow". Stresses can cause differences, for example in the terpene profile, but also of course yield, potency, etc.
If on the other hand you are talking about
phenotypes—the way I understand phenotypes is that it's an interplay between the genetic makeup and environmental factors. The genetic code produces a plant that responds a specific way to the soil, sunlight, water, and climate of a specific location. If you attempt to grow the phenotype in more-or-less radically different locations, you may get different results. But those differences will be within certain constraints. For example, if you plant two identical clones of a sativa (tall, narrow leaflets, stimulating effects)—one outdoors in Thailand and one outdoors in Denver, Colorado, both will grow like sativas, but there may differences in the cannabinoid and terpene profiles of the resulting buds.
