2020 Volume 89 Issue 1 Pages 45-53
In this study, we performed intergeneric crosses between Argyranthemum frutescens (L.) Sch. Bip. and seven perennial species of closely related genera [Artemisia absinthium L., Chrysanthemum lavandulifolium (Fisch. ex Trautv.) Makino × Chrysanthemum × morifolium Ramat., Dimorphotheca sinuata DC., Osteospermum ecklonis (de Candolle) Norlindh, Pericallis hybrida B. Nord., Rhodanthemum gayanum (Cross. & Durieu) B.H. Wilcox, K. Bremer & Humphries., and Rhodanthemum hosmariense (Ball) B.H. Wilcox, K. Bremer & Humphries.]. Using an embryo culture technique to generate intergeneric hybrids, we produced two putative hybrids from the crosses between A. frutescens and R. gayanum. In the putative hybrid derived from the cross between A. frutescens ‘Brilliant rouge’ × R. gayanum ‘Elf pink’, its ligulate flower color was similar to the ‘Brilliant rouge’ seed parent while the composition and total amount of anthocyanidins and/or leucoanthocyanidins were different. In the putative hybrid derived from the cross between A. frutescens ‘Sunday ripple’ and R. gayanum ‘African eyes’, its ligulate flower color differed from those of the parents. The ligulate flowers of the parents were white and produced no anthocyanidins, whereas the putative hybrids had light pink ligulate flowers and produced three anthocyanidins pigments [pelargonidins (including pelargonidin and/or leucopelargonidin), cyanidins (including cyanidin and/or leucocyanidin, peonidin), and delphinidins (including delphinidin and/or leucodelphinidin, malvidin)]. In addition, the cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) markers (Afl II) developed in this study confirmed that the putative hybrids were intergeneric hybrids of A. frutescens × R. gayanum. Therefore, these CAPS selection markers can be used to determine whether plants resulting from crosses are hybrids.
