SQL & PL/SQL

Hi folks

I have playing around with the connect by and start with clause and am facing a peculiar problem which I am unable to resolve..

My data set is as follows:

Create table dates_q
(start_date date,
end_date date)
/

REM INSERTING into dates_q
Insert into dates_q ("START_DATE","END_DATE") values (to_date('01-JAN-14','DD-MON-RR'),to_date('10-JAN-14','DD-MON-RR'));
Insert into dates_q ("START_DATE","END_DATE") values (to_date('11-JAN-14','DD-MON-RR'),to_date('20-JAN-14','DD-MON-RR'));
Insert into dates_q ("START_DATE","END_DATE") values (to_date('10-MAR-14','DD-MON-RR'),to_date('20-MAR-14','DD-MON-RR'));
Insert into dates_q ("START_DATE","END_DATE") values (to_date('21-MAR-14','DD-MON-RR'),to_date('31-MAR-14','DD-MON-RR'));
Insert into dates_q ("START_DATE","END_DATE") values (to_date('01-APR-14','DD-MON-RR'),to_date('10-APR-14','DD-MON-RR'));

Now I basically just want to get a hold of hierarchical queries and am working with various syntax...

What I now want is, start with the date of 1st apr as my start date and work backwards to build my "tree". The condition of my tree is between two rows; my start and end date differ by 1 day. If they do not; I do not want those records in my tree.

And using sys_connect_by_path, I want to get the whole path from the root.

So for example,

SELECT a.*,
       sys_connect_by_path(start_date, '|'),
       LEVEL lvl
  FROM dates_q a
 CONNECT BY PRIOR end_date = (start_date - 1)

I get the following result

But at the moment I have not given any starting point.. Now comes the FUN part..

when I give the starting condition; I am getting only one row :-(

Example

SELECT a.*,
       sys_connect_by_path(start_date, '|'),
       LEVEL lvl
  FROM dates_q a
 CONNECT BY PRIOR end_date = (start_date - 1)
 START WITH start_date = To_Date('01-apr-2014','dd-mon-yyyy');

Result is

Just one row...!!!

I am unable to understand this and work further and require help.

Is it that the tree formation works only in one "direction" and I am going the other way? Don't know what that means but just something that came to mind. :/

Thanks

K

P.S. - Database is 10g R2.