INTERSPECIFIC LILY HYBRIDS: A PROMISE FOR THE FUTURE

In order to introduce new characters as resistances, flower shape and colour, from wild species into the cultivar assortment of lily it is necessary to overcome interspecific crossing barriers. Several techniques, as the cut style method, the grafted-style method and the in vitro isolated ovule pollination technique, have been developed to overcome pre-fertilization barriers. Post-fertilization barriers can be circumvented by in vitro pollination and/or rescue methods as embryo, ovary-slice and ovule culture.

                                                

L. auratum x L. henryi            L. longiflorum x L. dauricum           OA-hybride

Using these techniques wide interspecific lily crosses with species and cultivars from the different sections of the genus Lilium (L. longiflorum, L. henryi, L. canadense L. concolor, L. dauricum, L. candidum, L. rubellum, L. martagon, Asiatic and Oriental hybrids) could be made. Hybrids originating from intersectional crosses (e.g. L. longiflorum x L. concolor, L. longiflorum x L. dauricum, L. longiflorum x L. henryi, L. longiflorum x L. martagon, L. longiflorum x L. candidum, L. longiflorum x Asiatic hybrids (LA), L. longiflorum x Oriental hybrids (LO), L. longiflorum x L. rubellum, L. longiflorum x L. canadense, Oriental x L. auratum x L. henryi, L. longiflorum x (L. longiflorum x L. rubellum) Oriental x Asiatic hybrids (OA) and L. henryi x L. candidum) have been produced. Especially the Oriental x Asiatic hybrids are a break-through in lily breeding and a promise for the future.

References

Lily cytogenetics

                                                         

L. long. x (L. long. x L. rubellum)  Oriental x (L. long. x L. henryi)        L. long. x Oriental


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Last updated: 8 January 2007