ISHS Acta Horticulturae 673: IX International Symposium on Flower Bulbs
BREEDING OF AUTUMN-FLOWERING INTERSPECIFIC HYBRIDS OF ALLIUM |
| Authors: | Y. Nomura, M. Saito, H. Komori |
| Keywords: | ovary culture, cultivar, pot flower, cut flower, ornamental Allium |
| Abstract:
Interspecific hybrids between Rakkyo (Allium chinense G. Don) and its relative species, A. thunbergii G. Don and A. virgunculae var. kiiense Murata, were produced by an ovary culture. Among these hybrids, two cultivars being suitable for cut flowers and one cultivar for pot flowers were selected. The cultivars for cut flowers bloomed from late October to early November. They had solid stems between 50 and 70 cm in length with little tight spherical umbels from 5 to 6 cm in diameter consisting of more than 80 florets with six reddish purple petals. They produced two to three bulbs from one plant per year. The pot-flower cultivar also bloomed in October and had thin but solid stems of about 25 cm in length with small and spherical umbels of 3 cm in diameter consisting of more than 40 florets with six reddish purple petals. They produced three bulbs from one plant per year. In addition, all these cultivars were easy to cultivate. The new cultivars from interspecific hybrids of Allium reported here can create a new demand for cut flowers and pot flowers because of their autumn-flowering character without competing with other ornamental Allium species which flower in spring to early summer. | |
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