Flower Bud Differentiation And Heredity Performance Of Several Morphological Characters In Nelumbo Nucifera

To reveal the compatibility among different cultivars in Nelumbo nucifera, six cultivars, i.e.'Chenguang', 'Youyimudanl-ian', 'Guili', ' Hongyingtao', 'Xiamenwanlian' and 'Suxin' were selected for hybridization, selfing and natural cross. Thirteen out of 26 cross combinations yielded more than 10 seeds per combination, morphological characters in F₁ progenies of these thirteen cross were investigated. The results were asfollows:1. The flower bud differentiation process of Nelumbo nucifera 'Youyimudanlian' (double flower cultivar) and 'Hongtailian' (proliferation flower cultivar) were investigated. In 'Youyimudanlian', the flower bud differentiation could be divided into six phases, i.e., initial differentiation, sepal petal, stamen, pistil and sex cell differentiation phase. For 'Hongtailian', flower bud diffrentiation could be divided into four phases including initial differentiation, sepal, petal and cephalophorun differentiation phase, it is notable that sex cell differentiation was abscent due to the petalody of and rogynaris in this cultivar.2. Seed set was diverse among different cross combinations with a rate ranging from 0 to 38.77%. Seed set also differed in reciprocal cross, which inferred determination of peternal or maternal parent is critical when cross was made. A rate of 0.91 to 25.39% seed set usually could be obtained from self cross, and 1.45 to 54.55 % from out cross, respectively. Fewer seed set was observed in double flower cultivars subjected either to self cross or out cross.3. The heredity ability of flower color is red, yellow and white in turn. The number of petals and the height of leafstalk showed hybrid vigor, which were 122.4% and 121.1% of the parents' mean value. However, the flower diameter and flower stalk amounted to 95.4% and 84.7% of the parents' mean value, indicating slight regression occurred. The diameter of flower stalk and leafstalk, length and width of leaf, resembling to those of the parents' mean values, were 103.3%, 99.6%, 99.4% and 96.7% of the parent's mean value, respectively.