PHENOTYPIC COMPARISONS BETWEEN WILD RELATIVES AND CULTIVARS OF KIWIFRUIT, PERSIMMON, MULBERRY, AND OLIVE AT THE NATIONAL CLONAL GERMPLASM REPOSITORY, DAVIS, CA

Phenotypic traits were characterized for 23 wild species and 4 cultivars of 4 clonal fruit crops including, Kiwifruit (Actinidia), Persimmon (Diospyros), Mulberry (Morus) and Olive (Olea). Across all four crops, the wild species varied distinctly, especially when compared with the cultivars.
The wild kiwifruit relatives exhibited notable differences in their flower and fruit characteristics such as: anther color, fruit skin color, smaller flower diameter and fruit size, less fruit pubescence, and generally earlier harvest dates.
The wild persimmon relatives were diverse in their fruit characteristics and had earlier or later harvest dates than ‘Fuyu’. The wild mulberry relatives produced smaller fruit with lower titratable acidity and variable soluble solid content.
The wild olive relatives differed chiefly from cultivars in leaf and fruit characteristics including: leaf color, leaf curvature, smaller fruit size, a reduced flesh to pit ratio, and earlier harvest dates.

I International Symposium on Wild Relatives of Subtropical and Temperate Fruit and Nut Crops

J.E. Preece, J.L. Smith

Actinidia, Diospyros, Morus, Olea, fruit characteristics, flower characteristics

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2012.948.19