Reproductive biology of Habranthus tubispathus.

FERNÁNDEZ, ANA CLARA; MARINANGELI PABLO; FACCIUTO, G ; CURVETTO, NÉSTOR

Buenos Aires

Simposio; VII International Symposium on New Floricultural Crops; 2011

International Society for Horticultural Sciences

Habranthus tubispathus is a geophyte species native to the subhumid and semiarid Pampean region of Argentina, with a high aesthetic ornamental value for sustainable landscaping. In order to initiate breeding studies, the reproductive biology of the species was investigated. Self-pollination and crosses were done on plants obtained from a natural population. The quantity of fruits set was recorded in both self and cross-pollinated plants, as well as in free pollinated plants from the natural population. The fructification ratio, the reproductive efficiency (RE) and the compatibility index were obtained. Also, the pollen tubes growth in fixed pistils of both types of pollination was evaluated. Fruits were obtained from both, self-pollinated and cross-pollinated plants. The fructification ratio was lower in self-pollinated plants (59.4%) in relation to cross-pollinated ones (91%), which showed a similar fructification ratio as natural pollinated plants (93%). Accordingly, RE values of 0.26 and 0.37 for self-pollinated and cross-pollinated plants, respectively, were obtained; nevertheless, the growth of the pollen tubes (more than 100 tubes that reaches the ovary) and the quantity of seeds per fruit (53) did not differed between these plants. Another evidence in favor of the preference for the cross pollination of H. tubispathus is the presence of herkogamy approach in flowers, despite that the compatibility index (0.65) indicate that this species is partially self-compatible.