INTERGENERIC HYBRIDS IN PYRINAE (=MALOIDEAE) SUBTRIBE OF PYREAE IN FAMILY ROSACEAE AT USDA GENEBANK

The USDA Agricultural Research Service maintains clonal germplasm collec-tions representing world diversity of Pyrus, Cydonia and Mespilus at its National Clonal Germplasm Repository in Corvallis, Oregon, USA. Smaller collections of Amelanchier, Aronia, Crataegus, Sorbus and other genera in Rosaceae subtribe Pyrinae (formerly subfamily Maloideae) are also conserved at this genebank.
Subtribe Pyrinae includes an unusually large number of intergeneric hybrids, some having natural origins and others resulting from intentional cross pollinations.
For example, natural populations of ×Amelasorbus (Amelanchier × Sorbus) are known from western North America.
Hybrid clones with garden origins include ×Sorbopyrus (Sorbus × Pyrus), which has been known since the early 1400s and ×Crataemespilus (Crataegus × Mespilus) since the late 1800s.
Flow cytometry results confirm that a large fruited ×Sorbopyrus selection developed in the early 1800s is triploid.
The species ×Pyronia veitchii (Pyrus × Cydonia) originated from intentional hybridization in the early 1900s, and has become a useful virus sensitive indicator plant.
Intergeneric hybrids between other members of Pyrinae have been generated for ornamental landscape, fruit production and rootstock use.
Some intergeneric clones have been clonally propagated and widely disseminated.
The intergeneric clonal accessions maintained at the USDA genebank have potential uses in molecular genetic and botanical research as well as horticultural applications in orchards and landscapes.

XXVIII International Horticultural Congress on Science and Horticulture for People (IHC2010): III International Symposium on Plant Genetic Resources

J.D. Postman

Amelasorbus, Crataegomespilus, Crataemespilus, Pyronia, Sorbaronia, Sorbocotoneaster, Sorbopyrus

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2011.918.123