Sindhu K (Kottapurathu) creator Mercy S T (Guide) text xx Vellayani Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, College of Agriculture 1995 9999 monographic und

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Morphological and compatibili ty s t ud i e s were conducted in six commercially important varieties of A. andreanum. viz. Honeymoon red, chilli red, Kalympong orange, Kalympong red, Pink and white. The varieties s how distinct differences in the morphological/floral characters. The larsest plants were observed in the variety Pink and the shortest variety was Kalympong red. The average number of leaves produced per year ranged from 3.5 to 6.5. The leaf plastochron duration was lowest in the variety White and longest duration was observed in Chilli red. The commercially valuable small sized leaves we re produced by White and Chilli red varieties. The bigger sized leaves were produced by the Pink variety. All the varieties showed variations in the colour of petioles and young leaves. The number of spadices produced annually by a plant varied from four to eight. The duration between the emergence of two successive spadices ranged from 43 to 51 nays. The spathe size index of all the varieties were observed. The varieties Pink and Kalympong red produced super large f lowers and the smallest flowers were developed in the white variety. All the varieties showed a wide range of colours; darker shades of red, orange, pink and white. The texture of the spathe was either smooth thick and glossy without prominent veins or deeply veined and blistered. There was significant correlation between leaf size and spathe size. The largest leaf size and spathe size was observed in the variety Pink. The candle was long and fleshy in the variety Pink and shortest in the White variety. The candles had either a single colour or seen in two or more bands of colours. The maximum angle between the spadix and plane of the spathe was observed in the Honeymoon red variety. The angle was smallest in Chilli red. The flowers of anthurium which are arranged in a spiral manner varied in numbers in the• differents varieties. The maximum number of flowers were produced in Pink and Honeymoon red Varieties. The spathe candle ratio was greater in Kalynpong red and smallest in White. The flowers of anthurium are bisexual, regular and protogynous. All the six varieties under the present study showed a distinct interphase. The longest life of unfertilised spadix was observed in Honeymoon r2.d and Kalympong red (3.5 months). For fertilised spadices, this period ranged from 4.5 - 8 months. Compatibility analysis was done in all the six A. andreanum varieties depending on the response of the cultivars to intervarietal hybridisation at three levels: percentage candles bearing fruits, percentage fruit set/seed set and seed gernination. The average percentage of candles bearing fruits waS maximum for the variety White and lowest for the variety Kalympong red. In this present investigation, the maximum average number of fruits was produced in the Pink and Honeymoon red varieties. The maxinum percentage of fruits were harvested . from the cross P x HR (52.3%). The duration of fruit maturity period ranged from 4.5 to 8 months. The average duration of fruit maturity "as maximum for the variety White. The colour of fruits varied in different varieties. All the cross combinations of a variety showed the same colour. The berries are usually single seeded and sometimes double seeded. Pink and Honeymoon red varieties produced larqer s i z e d seeds. The Kalympong varieties produced comparatively smaller sized seeds. Seed germination was observed in all the 23 combinations obtained. The maximum average germination was observed in combinations with white as the female parent (63.4%) and the lowest germination in the variety kalympong orange. tI I \l\Lt8''-\ HR x Among the 28 cross combinations done, the highly compatible crosses were HR x P and P x HR. The cross combinations, CR, HR x KR, CR x W, KR x P, P x P and W x KR had medium fruit set and high germination. The incompatible cross combinations were KO x KR, CR x HR, CR x P, W x CR, KR x KR and W x KO. MSc 630.28 SIN/CR http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810103420 http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810103420 140128 20220826144749.0