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Breeding approaches to the horticultural improvement of the Australian daisy Rhodanthe anthemoides

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the reproductive biology, cytology and phenology of the Australian everlasting daisy Rhodanthe anthemoides and related species. The principal objective was the development of new cultivars with novel bract colours and an assessment of intra-specific variation, mutation breeding and inter-specific hybridisation with R. diffusa, R. manglesii and R. chlorocephala subsp. rosea was carried out.R. anthemoides is a variable eastern state species and plants collected from the New England region of N.S.W have a chromosome number of 2n=22 as does R. diffusa. Other distinct morphological types of R.anthemoides, mostly from the Alpine regions of N.S.W, returned counts of 2n-22 indicating that this species is cytologically divergent and in need of botanical revision with the recognition of at least one new species.R. anthemoides is outbreeding and features a conspicuous involcure, protandry and long stigmatic papillae which aid in pollen presentation and favours insect pollination. The stigma in this species becomes receptive before it is fully exposed and remains receptive for at least 8 days. All of the above species are strongly self-compatible and in R. anthemoides the SI system functions by inhibiting pollen tube penetration of the stigma. (For complete abstract open document)

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/245192
CreatorsSalmon, Alexander
Source SetsAustraliasian Digital Theses Program
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
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