Rôças et al. 2004 (Article) Pitcairnia

Artificial hybridization between Pitcairnia flammea and Pitcairnia corcovadensis (Bromeliaceae): analysis of the performance of parents and hybrids

Author(s):— Rôças G., D.E. Klein & E.A. de Mattos

Publication:—Plant species biology 19: 47–53. (2004) — DOI

Abstract:—The genus Pitcairnia (Bromeliaceae) includes species that hybridize readily in nature and species that occur together, but do not hybridize. In natural populations of P. flammea and P. corcovadensis, floral traits did not reveal morphological intermediates between them. However, it is possible to obtain artificial hybrids. Thus, we aimed to characterize the morphology of F1 hybrids and evaluate the fitness of different hybrids and parental generations. In most of the morphological traits, the F1 hybrids were intermediate to their parents. With regard to the fitness of the F1 hybrids and backcrosses, some traits were intermediate whereas others were parental-like. In the greenhouse, no post–zygotic barriers for hybrid formation were observed. Due to successful clonal propagation we suggest that hybrids that were eventually produced by a non-specific pollinator which might persist and spread in nature.