Production of interspecific hybrids between Alstroemeria pelegrina L. var.rosea and A-magenta Bayer by ovule culture

Interspecific hybrids were efficiently produced in the cross-incompatible c ombination between Alstroemeria pelegrina L. var. rosea and A. magenta Baye r by culturing immature ovules with placenta 7-14 days after pollination on 2 g/l Gelrite-solidified MS medium containing 3% (w/v) sucrose. The plants showed intermediate characteristics between the parents and their hybridit y was confirmed by karyotype and DNA analyses. The mean number of chromosom e association per PMC at metaphase I was 2.60I+6.70II, pollen stainability was 20.8%, and they produced viable seeds after self-pollination. Furthermo re, mature plants were obtained when the hybrids were backcrossed as male p arents with both the parents. The backcross-progeny from A. pelegrina var. rosea x hybrids exhibited 3.8 to 79.7% pollen stainability and that from A. magenta x hybrids 78.8 to 98.3%. Almost all of these plants produced viabl e seeds after self-pollination, which implies that they can be utilized for breeding of novel cultivars of Alstroemeria.