Study on Heredity Rules of Cyclamen persicum Colors

INTRODUCTION Cyclamen persicum is a kind of bulbous flower with colorful and peculiar figures, blooming during Christmas and Chinese New Year. It has become one of the most important potted flowers in the domestic and international markets (Kang Lifang 2002). At present there are more than 10 kinds of colors for main C. persicum varieties. But there is a lack of understanding on heredity rules of C. persicum and its breeding technique in China, the seeds of C. persicum for potted flow…

Study on Heredity Rules of Cyclamen persicum Colors

To identify the theoretic foundation for maintaining and improving high quality varieties and breeding new F1 hybrids, flower color segregation occurred in the offspring in both self-pollination and cross- pollination of varieties of different colors were investigated. The main results indicate that the heredity of Cyclamen persicum color follows both quantitative and qualitative hereditary regularity. All genes can be classified as two groups of the throat-gene and coronal-gene occupying different spots on the chromosome. The colored gene is the dominant gene, while the white gene is the recessive one. The gene groups and their quantity determine the color of cyclamen persicum. And sometimes the throat- gene and the coronal-gene take a recombination, forming a new type of flower.