Production of interspecific hybrids between Japanese gentians and wild species of Gentiana

Wide hybridization, which is a powerful tool to broaden genetic variation, has been used in breeding of many crops. However, in ornamental gentian few wide hybridizations have been reported. Interspecific hybridizations between two gentian cultivated species (Gentiana scabra and G. triflora) and 11 wild species, which were classified in five sections, were carried out using ovule culture. When G. scabra was used as a female parent, normal seedlings and hybrid plants were obtained from eight and five interspecific combinations, respectively. The yield of seedling produced from ovule culture depended on interspecific combinations, ranging from 0.3 to 427.7 normal seedling per flower. In the hybridization of G. triflora with five wild species, normal seedlings and plants were produced in five and four interspecific combinations, respectively. The yield of normal seedling ranging from 0.4 to 228.3 was different between not only interspecific combinations but also reciprocal crosses. Two cultivated species are classified in sect. Pneumonanthe, and successful production of hybrids was obtained from the hybridization with species classified in sections Pneumonanthe or Cruciata. The hybrid nature of the produced plants was confirmed by molecular marker and morphology. The production of interspecific hybrids opens a novel prospect in ornamental gentian breeding.