View/Open - ResearchSpace - University of KwaZulu-Natal
View/Open - ResearchSpace - University of KwaZulu-Natal
View/Open - ResearchSpace - University of KwaZulu-Natal
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Commercialization potential <strong>of</strong> Romulea species<br />
segment around the cup. R. eximia flowers from August to September (MANNING &<br />
GOLDBLATT, 2001). According to DE VOS (1972) this plant has 2 to 3 flowers or more.<br />
R. eximia is in the same subgenus and section as R. sabulosa, whereas R. citrina and<br />
R. tabularis are in the same subgenus, section and series as R. leipoldtii and R.<br />
minutiflora (MANNING & GOLDBLATT, 2001). R. austinii and R. schlechteri, species<br />
with scented flowers, are also in the same subgenus, section and series as R. leipoldtii<br />
and R. minutiflora.<br />
It is therefore very likely that the culture requirements for R. eximia could be very similar<br />
to that <strong>of</strong> R. sabulosa and that the culture requirements for R. citrina, R. tabularis, R.<br />
austinii and R. schlechteri could be very similar to that <strong>of</strong> R. leipoldtii and R. minutiflora.<br />
This study can therefore be useful for the commercialization <strong>of</strong> these species.<br />
Apart from the increased multiplication rate in vitro compared to conventional<br />
propagation, in vitro techniques such as embryo rescue established for these species<br />
will also be useful in the commercialization <strong>of</strong> these species. Embryo rescue enables the<br />
development <strong>of</strong> the embryo in vitro if the endosperm is underdeveloped (HARTMANN &<br />
KESTER, 1965). Crosses have been attempted in vivo on numerous species <strong>of</strong><br />
Romulea by DE VOS (1972). She found that crosses between species that were not in<br />
the same section and with different chromosome numbers were largely unsuccessful.<br />
When crossing species in different subsections and sections she found that seeds were<br />
not viable. She speculated that this was because <strong>of</strong> a failure <strong>of</strong> endosperm<br />
development, suggesting that the embryo may be viable and that the techniques <strong>of</strong><br />
embryo rescue and in vitro culture could be used to cultivate these hybrids (DE VOS,<br />
1972). Weak plants were obtained in a few cases. These plants died within the first<br />
growth season, before flowering (DE VOS, 1972).<br />
Using embryo rescue techniques, the beautiful and large flowered species in the<br />
subsection Spatalanthus (e.g. R. sabulosa and R. monadelpha) can therefore<br />
theoretically be crossed with species with scented flowers such as R. austinii and R.<br />
schlechteri in the subsection Romulea. Such a cross may result in a phenotype with<br />
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