STATICE (LIMONIUM SINUATUM MILL.) SEED SELECTION FOR EARLINESS AND INCREASED YIELD

Variation in flowering time and inflorescence length and fresh weight was determined for 9 annual statice varieties grown in the field from September through March.
Distribution of initial flowering within the varieties ranged from 88 to 260 days and mean flowering among varieties ranged from 168. 5 to 219. 4 days.
They could be divided into 3 classes based upon mean flowering: early (Gold Coast, Roselight); intermediate (Apricot, American Beauty, Iceberg, Twilight Lavender); and late (Midnight Blue, Blue Bonnet, Heavenly Blue). Mean inflorescence length ranged from 53. 8 cm (Blue Bonnet) to 71. 1 cm (Iceberg) and mean weight varied from 24. 4 g (Gold Coast) to 56. 8 g (Heavenly Blue). Plant diversity within the blue varieties was less than the others evaluated.
Seed was saved from 4 of the Iceberg plants which were early flowering and their progeny were compared to a commercial seed source.
Mean flowering of these selections was 7. 6 to 13. 1 days earlier than the commercial seed, with 66. 7% to 73. 4% of the plants from 3 lines flowering before 180 days as compared to 50. 1% of the commercial line.
Yield of all selections prior to 17 December was 2. 4 to 2. 9 times greater than the commercial seed.
Improvement of statice varieties for increased early yields is possible by single plant selection.

I International Symposium on Floriculture Plant Breeding and Genetics

Gary J. Wilfret

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1976.63.14