FIRST INTERGENERIC HYBRIDS (PSILANTHUS-EBRACTEOLATUS HIERN X COFFEA-ARABICA L.) IN COFFEE TREES

Intergeneric hybrids between Psilanthus ebracteolatus (2n = 22) and Co ffea arabica (2n = 44) were successfully produced by crossing at the t etraploid level. Although a total of 41 plants was obtained, only nine plants survived after 5 months growth in the nursery. Hybrid status w as confirmed by means of cytological and molecular methods. For most o f the morphological characteristics analyzed, hybrids appeared interme diate between the two parental species. The mean production of two sur viving hybrids per 100 pollinated flowers as well as their fertility a re comparable with those reported for intrageneric crosses between sub genera Coffea species, and do not support the present division of coff ee trees into two genera. Both the capacity of C. arabica to hybridize with P. ebracteolatus and the fertility of hybrids produced appear hi gh enough to envisage integeneric gene transfers from P. ebracteolatus into C. arabica.