Breeding a Daylily Hemerocallis hybrid in the Stavropol Botanical Garden

Abstract

17 live plant collections numbering about 5 thousand species and varieties of different climatic zones were the basis for the introduction and breeding tests in the Stavropol Botanical Garden. The species and varieties of Daylily Hemerocallis×hybrida hort. were chosen as the parent material. The Нemerocallis (or Daylily) belongs to the Xanthorrhoeaceae Juss. family. Known for a long time as medical and ornamental plants, daylilies have attracted significant attention in recent years because of their longevity, xerophytism and tolerance to winter conditions, relative sample unpretentiousness. Since 2009, the breeding of daylilies has been in progress in the Stavropol Botanical Garden aimed at creating decorative varieties for the steppe zone that are resistant to unfavourable abiotic and biotic stressors. It was revealed that the promising hybrid progeny has diverse colours of the flower with corrugated edge and petals. The petal edges are folded at a 90º angle and bent back, forming a turban. Prolonged flowering for up to 30 days and more is ensured by numerous generative shoots and flowers on the flower spike (12 to 26). Hybrid progeny matches the height, flowers colour, decorative effect of leaves, resistance to external environmental factors, diseases and pests, of the assumed model and is recommended for further study and evaluation of decorative. The studied hybrids are valuable parent material for further breeding work and can be recommended for gardening.