Ten hybrid plants were obtained by crossing between
Zoysia minima, indigenous plant to New Zealand, and 5 other
Zoysia species grown in Japan. In this study, the hybridity of the F
1 plants were confirmed by RAPD (Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA), and subsequently, the observation of morphological and growth characteristics was conducted. As a result of the RAPD using the selected 31 random primers, the F
1 plants obtained were a hybrid between the
Z. minima and
Zoysia species. Microscopic examination of the transverse section of leaf blade indicates C-B-type streamlining on both sides of the leaf edge in all hybrids with
Z. minima. In addition, the pollen fertility of F
1 plants was high over 80%, and this pollen was almost normal. In the characteristics observation of hybrids with
Z. minima as the mother plant, the widths of leaves were narrow, and the forms of the spikes became small, with a tendency towards a smaller size.
Z. minima was an effective germplasm stock for cases in which the breeding is advanced in the direction that miniaturizes plant type by interspecific hybrid.
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