Crossability and Inheritance of Leaf Traits in Primulina
Journal
HortScience
Journal Volume
60
Journal Issue
9
Start Page
1441
End Page
1446
ISSN
0018-5345
2327-9834
Date Issued
2025-09
Author(s)
Chen, Sheng-Wen
Abstract
Primulina plants exhibit diverse leaf shapes and venation patterns, demonstrate tolerance to low light conditions, and are commonly used as flowering foliage plants. However, scientific studies on their hybridization and the inheritance of leaf traits remain limited. In this study, Primulina species, cultivars, and hybrid progeny were investigated to evaluate pollen germination, crossability, and the inheritance of leaf characteristics. The results showed that self-pollination of the tested four cultivars Aiko, Nakako, New York, and Rachel or using them as pollen parents in crosses with the wild species resulted in no fruit set. However, using the four tested cultivars as seed parents in crosses with the wild species did result in fruit set. In BK medium culture, the pollen of the cultivars did not germinate, whereas the pollen of P. liujianensis, P. longgangensis, P. ningmingensis, and P. sinovietnamica showed germination. Pollen from hybrids of same-clade species showed 9% to 37% germination, whereas no germination occurred in hybrids from different clades. The results of trait segregation ratio in the hybrid progeny showed that white leaf veins are dominant over green leaf vein. Netted white veins are dominant over veined white veins. Cleft leaves display incomplete dominance over the entire leaves, and crenate margins are dominant over the entire margins.
Subjects
leaf margin
leaf vein
pollen fertility
pollen germination
reciprocal cross
Publisher
American Society for Horticultural Science
Type
journal article