Abstract
Recently, Ixia is grown on a small scale for cut-flowers in oup country. Twenty-two commercial varieties were used to examine the somatic chromosome numbers, fertility, and other habitual characteristics. Six varieties were diploid (2n=20), 8 triploid (2n=30) and the rest were tetraploid (2n=40). Tetraploids, as well as most of the triploids, had larger flowers and prettier colors, and showed considerably higher fertility than diploids. Some varietal and inter-specific crosses succeeded in the mixed state with diploids, triploids, and tetraploids levels. So, it was assumed that these tetraploids and triploids would be of allopolyploid constitutions.
