Hybridization between Native and Alien Dandelions in the Western Tokai District (1) Frequency and Morphological Characters of the Hybrid between Taraxacum platycarpum and T. officinale

Abstract

Frequency and morphological characters of the natural hybrids between Taraxacum platycarpum and T. officinale were examined in Aichi Prefecture, C. Honshu, Japan. More than 90 % of plants currently referred to “T. officinale” had alleles b or c of glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) introduced from T. platycarpum. These hybrid plants were morphologically intermediate between T. platycarpum and pure T. officinale in the number of marginal hairs in outer involucral bract, the length of corniculate appendage on the apex of outer involucral bract, and the size of achene.