Abstract
Artificial cross experiments were carried out to determine cross-compatibility within and between 38 accessions from natural populations of Lilium japonicum. Results of the cross experiments showed that plants from the Kyushu district and the eastern part of the Shikoku district, and those of L. japonicum var. abeanum, native in the eastern part of the Shikoku district, are less compatible with plants from other districts. To examine flowering characteristics of the progenies derived from artificial crosses, seedlings were established from the obtained seeds through aseptic culture. Only one progeny derived from a cross within an accession from the southern Kinki district reached flowering during the first year of cultivation. Progenies from crosses between accessions from the southern Kinki district and eastern Shikoku district tended to differentiate more flowers than other progenies during the third year of cultivation. Flowering time of parents used in the crosses seemed to be quantitatively reflected in that of their progenies.
