|
To determine flowering habit in the genus Camellia, differences in patterns of flower bud formation in 69 cultivars of 10 species and 3 hybrids were characterized. When ranked by the quantity of flower buds produced, a group of species from subtropical areas was the highest, followed by C. sinensis, then C. sasanqua and a group of species presumably derived from hybridization (C. hiemalis, C. wabisuke, and C. vernalis), and finally C. japonica. From a small sample of available hybrids, it appeared that flower bud production in hybrids is variously intermediate to the parents. In order to examine the flowering characteristics of shoots, they were classified into three types of vegetative shoots according to vigor, and into four types of flowering shoots ranging from those with only terminal flower buds to those with buds in both the terminal and lateral Fcsitiens. C. sasanqua and C. hiemalis tend to produce mere flower buds on longer and more vigorous shoots while C. japonica was found to produce most flower buds on shoots with inter- mediate growth. Bud prcducticn in the lateral positions was the lowest in C. japonica. The species which were considered to be hybrids such as C. wabisuke and C, vernalis showed flower bud preducticn pattern that were intermediate between C. sasanqua and C. japonica. It is clear that genetic factcrs contribute to the expression of flowering habit in the genus Camellia. Ccmellia sasanqua and C. japonica consistently tend to differ from each other in frequency and position of flower bud production. It is suggested that C. sasanqua and related taxa derived from hybridization are suitable cultivars for pot culture or cut flowers. The subtro-pical species with thin and slender branches and numerous small leaves and flowers also have considerable potential as pot plants directly or at least as foundation.
|