Proceedings of the XLVI Italian Society of Agricultural Genetics - SIGA Annual Congress

Giardini Naxos, Italy - 18/21 September, 2002

ISBN 88-900622-3-1

Poster Abstract - 3.14

ANEMONE X FULGENS: EXPLOITATION OF AN OLD NEGLECTED ORNAMENTAL CROP

ALLAVENA A.

Istituto Sperimentale per la Floricoltura, C.so degli Inglesi 508, 18038 Sanremo (IM)

germplasm, genetic variation, interspecific hybrid, mediterranean species

A. x fulgens Gay is probably an A. hortensis x A. pavonina hybrid. It was introduced into cultivation in the sub coastal area of the French "Cote d'Azur" and Italian "Riviera" at the beginning of the XIX century and was called “Reginetta”. It was grown as secondary crop, in oliveyard and vineyard, for cut flower production. Cultivation of A. x fulgens was gradually abandoned; now the species survives and is endemic in the former zones of cultivation. A. x fulgens shows simple, semi double or full double flowers. Pepaloid sepals are scarlet with small green and white stripes. Flowering is concentrated in March-May. The relatively short period of flowering, in comparison to those of the more popular A. coronaria, could be one of the reasons that limited cultivation.

The rhizomes of A. x fulgens were collected in July 2001 after identification of the plants in the wild during blooming season. The rhizomes originated from different plants were kept separate when possible, and dissected into propagation units with one bud before planting. Single units were potted in vases of 14 cm in diameter or planted in soil. Potted plants were grown either in greenhouse or in open field and evaluated preliminary for their traits. At flowering, plants with semi double flowers were crossed to A. coronaria or back-crossed to A. pavonina.

A. x fulgens potted plants, grown in open field, showed a rich and compact rosette of erect lobed leaves from which 7-10 solitary flowers raised and bloomed almost contemporary at the beginning of March. The preliminary cultivation test suggests a possible use of the species as a flowered potted plant with a very low input requirement (minimum fertilization, no heating). Plants grown in greenhouse flowered earlier but flower colour was greenish and scarcely attractive. Simple or semi double flowers only were able to produce anthers with pollen and an ovary and to set seeds. A small ovary or rudimentary stigmas were identified in full double flowered plants grown in soil.

Seeds were recovered from crosses. It is expected to transfer useful traits from A. coronaria to A x fulgens (additional flower colours, longer period of flowering) and from A x fulgens to A. coronaria (suitability to flowered potted plant production). It is expected moreover to recover further genetic variation.