Abstract
The rapid and simple method for measuring the phyllodulcin content, which is the main component for sweetness of amacha (sweet Hydrangea) varieties, was established using HPCL. Fifty samples could be analyzed in a day by this method in contrast to 20 samples by the former method. We crossed amacha varieties and obtained many healthy seedlings by spraying them with gibberellin (50 ppm) after seeding and spraying liquid fertilizer to the young seedlings. Many seeds and F1 plants were obtained from crossings of Amacha / Amagiamacha. Fresh leaf weight per plant and the concentration and the content of phyllodulcin per plant in the F1 plants showed a normal distribution, suggesting that these traits were controlled by polygenes. In most of the F1 plant, total fresh leaf weight and phyllodulcin concentration were distributed between the values of the parents. However, in many F1 plants, phyllodulcin content per plant exceeded the values in both parents. Phyllodulcin concentration did not correlate with leaf weight. This may be why many F1 plants contained a large amount of phyllodulcin per plant than both parents. The year-to-year correlation of phyllodulcin concentration was high.
