Development of colored, non-vernalization-requiring seed propagated lilies

Recent discovery of seed-propagated Lilium × formolongi hybrids that flower continuously in <1 yr without vernalization (200-240d after sowing due to ≥1 dominant VERI, VER2 alleles) with frost-tolerance, day neutrality, and winter hardiness is an unprecedented combination in Lilium. Our objective to obtain colored L. xformolongi was to use Class I lilies that initiate flower buds prior to a cold treatment as parents, e.g. Lilium martagon. Reciprocal interspecific crosses between fertile parents (1-L. xformolongi, 7-colored L. martagon) were made in both directions to generate segregating hybrid (F ₁) and inbred (F₂) progenies. A total of 8,826 F ₁ seeds or embryos were generated. Embryo rescue was employed when L. martagon was the female, although viable embryos never germinated after ∼1 yr in culture. Mean germination ranged from 0-1.02% for in situ ripened seed. Hybridity for one successful cross (07L-14; L. ×formolongi [00L-111-343×51-202-1] × L. martagon 'Cadense') was analyzed using morphological (flowering, leaf and internode number, leaf length:width ratios, compatibility, no. flower stalks and flowers, rosetting) and molecular markers (ISSR primers). Twenty-two 07L-14 genotypes were genetically similar to the female parent whereas 86 aligned closely with the male ('Cadense'). The number of shoots/plant was the only quantitative trait co-segregating with ISSRs. Flowering traits were intermediate to, but significantly different than, either parent. A majority of the plant height and inflorescence lengths were significantly greater than the parents. Two F1s had slight flower coloration in the petals and tepals; one hybrid had an open-faced rather than trumpet flower (similar to an Oriental type).