HORTSCIENCE 43(2):310–313. 2008. reported for sect. Trichostema from field ob- servations, even though interspecific hybridi- zation within Lamiaceae is reported to be Intersectional Hybridization among common and has been seen in Salvia L., Mentha L., Monarda L., Dicerandra Benth., Trichostema Species and Hyptis Jacq. (Huck, 1992). Lewis (per- 1,3 2 sonal communication) attempted crosses Bruce L. Dunn and Jon T. Lindstrom between T. lanatum and T. parishii, both Department of Horticulture, University of Arkansas, 316 Plant Sciences sect. Chromocephalum, with no success. Building, Fayetteville, AR 72701 Thus, little is known of the breeding compatibility among the species. Artificial Additional index words. ornamental plant breeding, blue curls, interspecific hybrid, intersec- hybridization yields information on cross- tional hybrid, hybrid sterility ability, hybrid fertility, and the genetic con- Abstract. Controlled reciprocal crosses between Trichostema lanatum Benth. (section tributions to a phenotype, all of which give Chromocephalum F.H. Lewis) with Trichostema arizonicum A. Gray (section Panicula- insight into the relationship among species tum F.H. Lewis) and Trichostema purpusii Brandegee (section Rhodanthum Lewis) were (Kruckeberg, 1962). The main objective of successful in generating the first artificial hybrids in the genus. Crosses where T. lanatum this work was to assess the genetic relation- was used as the female were unsuccessful. Leaf and floral morphology among the hybrids ship through interspecific hybridization was typically intermediate. Female sterility was seen in the T. arizonicum · T. lanatum between three ornamental perennial Trichos- hybrids, and these hybrids also produced abnormally small, nonviable pollen grains. tema species: T. lanatum (sect. Chromoce- Propagation procedures are also presented. Although these species may be in different phalum), T. purpusii (sect. Rhodanthum), and sections, their crossability suggests that they are closely related. T. arizonicum (sect. Paniculatum). Materials and Methods Trichostema L., a North American genus habitat, and distribution. Lewis (personal Hybridization. A single plant of T. lana- in the Lamiaceae family comprised of annual communication) agreed that T. mexicanum tum was raised from seed obtained from and perennial species, is found growing should be considered a separate species. He Southwestern Native Seeds (Tucson, AZ). across the continental United States and recently described another species, T. ruygtii Seed of T. arizonicum was also obtained from extending north into Canada and south into H. Lewis, and notes its close relationship to the same source. Seed of T. purpusii was Mexico (Lewis, 1960). Of the species, the T. lanceolatum Benth. (Lewis, 2006). This obtained from Seedhunt (Freedom, CA). All perennial T. lanatum, also known as romero brings the total to 18 species. three species of Trichostema were main- or woolly blue curls, is probably the most Originally, Lewis had proposed five sec- tained under greenhouse conditions. T. ari- recognizable species, as it is commercially tions (Chromocephalum, Paniculatum, Rho- zonicum and T. purpusii are dormant in available and is used in California landscapes danthum, Orthopodium Benth., and Trichostema winter and were kept cool (minimum winter (Clausen and Ekstrom, 1989; Crane 2007; Benth.) based on flower morphology, chro- temperature 50 °F) and dry. Trichostema Evans and Bohn, 2001; Wilson 2007). Tri- mosome counts, and growth habit (Lewis, lanatum grows throughout the year, with chostema spp. grows vigorously during the 1945). Trichostema purpusii (formerly the most flowers occurring in the spring, sum- summer and early autumn dry season, mak- monotypic genera Eplingia L.O. Williams) mer, and early fall. Controlled reciprocal ing it an excellent plant for xeriscaping was originally placed in sect. Rhodanthum,as pollinations between T. arizonicum · T. (Dalby, 2004; Heisey and Delwiche, 1984). Lewis (1945) notes only remote similarities lanatum were made beginning on 24 Aug. The flowers are also reported to have a with any of the other species. However, upon 2004. Controlled reciprocal pollinations pleasant, aromatic fragrance, and are a favor- germination of some collected T. purpusii between T. purpusii · T. lanatum were made ite of hummingbirds and butterflies (Crane, seed, Lewis and Rzedowski (1978) later beginning on 12 Sept. 2006. Flowers were 2007; Dalby, 2004). Not all species are of reported that T. purpusii and T. arizonicum emasculated using tweezers before anthesis. ornamental value, as a number of annual were more closely related to each other than Pollination occurred once a day for 3 d after species, including T. brachiatum L., T. dicho- any other species in the genus; therefore, he emasculation. At least five flowers were used tomum L., and T. setaceum Houtt., are re- included T. purpusii with T. arizonicum in in each crossing experiment. ported as weedy (Lewis, 1945). sect. Paniculatum. Huang (2002) agreed with Mature seeds from the T. arizonicum · T. The exact number of species has been Lewis’s original decision to separate the lanatum cross were collected on 5 Nov. 2004, unclear in the literature, although 16 species species into their individual sections by and were subsequently sown on 1 Dec. 2004. was reported as late as 1978 (Lewis and reporting ndhF data showing sect. Panicula- Mature seeds from the T. purpusii · T. Rzedowski, 1978). Epling (1940) had sug- tum and Rhodanthum as being sisters to one lanatum cross were collected on 10 Nov. gested that T. mexicanum Epling could be another, and thus T. purpusii will be consid- 2006, and were subsequently sown on 12 separate from T. arizonicum based on ered in sect. Rhodanthum. Nov. 2006. All seeds were planted in pots reduced hairiness, flower size, and branching Sections Chromocephalum and Panicula- using a 1:1 ratio of Fafard #2 (Portland, OR) inflorescences. Lewis (1945) considered T. tum were reported to have n = 10 chromo- mix and perlite that had been autoclaved mexicanum to fall within the range of T. somes, whereas other chromosome numbers and pretreated with boiling water. Pots were arizonicum and thus to be synonymous with within the genus vary among the species and placed in a Park Seed BiodomeTM (Green- T. arizonicum. Henrickson (1982) agreed even sections, ranging from n =7ton =19 ville, SC) until seeds germinated. with Epling that T. mexicanum is a distinct (Lewis, 1960). Two shrubby perennial Cal- Pollen viability. Pollen comparisons were species based on corolla size and color, ifornia species are included in sect. Chromo- made on pollen collected from mature anther length, inflorescence habit, growth cephalum: T. lanatum and T. parishii Vasey. anthers on greenhouse specimens of T. ari- Section Trichostema species observed in zonicum · T. lanatum hybrids. Anthers from the wild generally grow in isolated popula- at least five flowers were used. Anthers were tions; however, Lewis (1945, 2006) did squashed on a microscope slide containing Received for publication 21 Aug. 2007. Accepted for publication 2 Oct. 2007. report that some species can be found grow- two to three drops of 1% acetocarmine. 1Graduate student, University of Arkansas. ing together where boundaries overlap, as in Measurements (based on 10 pollen grains 2Associate professor, University of Arkansas. the case of T. parishii and T. lanatum pop- per species) of the polar and equatorial axes 3To whom reprint requests should be addressed; ulations, as well as T. ruygtii and T. lanceo- were made with a light microscope (·40) e-mail [email protected] latum. No intermediate hybrids have been using Motic Image Plus 2.0 program from HORTSCIENCE VOL. 43(2) APRIL 2008 Motic Instruments, Inc. (Richmond, British shoots were then rooted and established as 2004). No smoke or year-long soil contact Columbia, Canada). described for Itea virginica L. (Lindstrom treatment was administered to either group of Propagation. Asexual reproduction was and Pelto, 2003). hybrid seed (15 seeds total), and six seed- attempted using softwood cuttings and plant lings resulted, indicating that extended soil tissue culture. Softwood cuttings were taken Results and Discussion and smoke treatments may be species spe- in the spring or summer, dipped in 1000 ppm cific. A smoke treatment may have increased K-IBA, and placed under intermittent mist in Five viable seedlings were obtained from the germination percentage. After initial perlite or other similar medium. To introduce the T. arizonicum (female) · T. lanatum seedlings had developed, a smoke treatment the hybrids into tissue culture, shoot tips 2 to (male) cross, of which two later died. One was applied to ungerminated seeds, with no 3 cm in length were collected and mature viable seedling was obtained from the T. success. leaves were removed. The shoots were rinsed purpusii (female) · T. lanatum (male) cross. The T. purpusii · T. lanatum hybrid, under running water for 1 h and were then For both crosses, no seeds resulted when T. which flowered for the first time on 14 May surface-sterilized in a 0.53% solution of lanatum was used as the female. This could 2007, unfortunately did not retain the unique sodium hypochlorite and subsequently rinsed be from the lack of pollen germination or pink corolla lobe color of T. purpusii. Corolla three times in sterile water under a laminar insufficient pollen tube growth through the lobes were actually violet, which is interme- flow hood. A 3- to 5-mm shoot tip was then highly exserted style found on T. lanatum diate in color between the two parents. This excised and placed into a test tube containing compared with the relatively shorter styles on plant did show hybrid vigor in the anterior 15 mL of Linsmaier and Skoog media (Lin- T. arizonicum and T. purpusii. corolla lobe, as its size was greater than either smaier and Skoog, 1965), pH adjusted to 5.7, Keeley and Fotheringham (1998) reported parent (Fig. 1). Leaf, stamen, and pistil size without added plant growth hormones. To that T. lanatum seed would not germinate were intermediate between the parents (Fig. multiply in vitro plants, individual shoots without coupling a year-long soil contact and 1; Table 1).