Polyploidisation of Lobelia speciosa and Introgression in Lobelia erinus Hybrids

摘要

Lobelia erinus hybrids are important bedding plants worldwide. Despite their significance, information about their breeding history is scarce. An interspecific background can be assumed, however, only a few reports about interspecific hybridisation of Lobelia erinus hybrids are available. So far, Lobelia plants up to the hexaploid level have been known.This work reports for the first time on an octoploid Lobelia (2n=8x=56) which was obtained by mutagenesis of a diploid Lobelia speciosa. Furthermore, this paper demonstrates that cross-combination of the octoploid mutant with tetraploid Lobelia erinus hybrids results in hexaploid plants.