Interspecific hybridization was carried out between
Lilium longiflorum and
L. lophophorum var.
linearifolium by using the cut style method of pollination, as a contrast, intraspecific hybridization between
L. longiflorum ‘Gelria’ and
L. longiflorum was also made, but no mature seeds and offspring were obtained from the two combinations under in vivo condition. Ovules
excised from each carpel 5–35 days after pollination (DAP) were cultured on B5 or half-strength B5 medium containing sucrose
at different concentrations in vitro. In
L. longiflorum ×
L. lophophorum var.
linearifolium, only 1.17% of ovules excised at 10 DAP developed into seedlings, and in
L. longiflorum ‘Gelria’ ×
L. longiflorum, only 0.99% of ovules excised at 25 DAP developed into seedlings; none of the ovules excised at other different DAP in the
two cross combinations produced any seedlings. The results showed that interspecific hybridization had a more serious post-fertilization
barrier than the intraspecific hybridization, and that a lower concentration (3%) of sucrose led to better embryo development
and higher percentage of seedlings in ovule cultures. All hybrid seedlings obtained were successfully transplanted to soil
and grew normally. The progenies investigated were identified as true hybrids based on inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR)
analysis.
Keywords
Lilium spp. - Interspecific hybrids - Cut style pollination - Ovule culture - Embryo rescue - In vitro embryo development - ISSR