2005 Volume 4 Issue 3 Pages 307-311
The differences between male and female plants in the growth, development and quality of Japanese butterbur hybrids were investigated. Regarding total spike yield, male plants were superior to female plants from ‘Mizubuki’ (Gunma) × ‘Yatsugashira’ and ‘Mizubuki’ (Gunma) × ‘Line 4’. However, bracts of male plants began to open earlier than those of female plants, and the marketable yield of male plants remarkably fell due to the openning bracts in February when spikes of Japanese butterbur were in demand. However, since bracts of female plants began to open later than those of male plants, marketable yield from female plants was higher in February. Female plants showed superior in the cold hardiness of spikes compared to that shown by male plants. Furthermore, spikes of female plants were tighter than those of male plants. These results suggested that female plants were more desirable than male plants for selecting a new cultivar for harvesting spikes from hybrid plants of ‘Mizubuki’ (Gunma) × ‘Yatsugashira’ and ‘Mizubuki’ (Gunma) × ‘Line 4’ in February. Although differences were seen in length and diameter of a petiole, there were no differences in the number of petioles, yield and quality of petioles between male and female plants from ‘Mizubuki’ (Gunma) × ‘Yatsugashira’. It suggested that gender was not much related in selecting a new cultivar for harvesting petioles from hybrid plants of ‘Mizubuki’ (Gunma) × ‘Yatsugashira’.
