Breeding in crossandra

Pavani.URHD/09-02

Taxonomy S.N: Crossandra infundibulifolia syn. C. undulaeformis C.N: Fire cracker plant, Kanakambaram Family: Acanthaceae 2n = 40 Origin: Indo - malaya region

• Crossandra is derived from Greek word krossoi – fringe, Aner – male i.e fringed anthers.

Distribution • Crossandra plants are distributed in tropical as

well as subtropical regions of the world such as south asia, south america, south africa and Madagaskar.

• In India it is commercially cultivated in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and A.P

Botany • Crossandra is evergreen shrub of minor importance.

• The leaves are upright, some what toothed and often verticillate.

• Inflorescence is hairy, flowers appear in dense sessile spikes, red to yellow, with prominent bracts.

• Corolla cylindrical, more or less curved, stamens 4 in pairs.

Species and cultivars• The genus consists of around 40-50 sps of tropical plants with

only a few cultivated sps such as C. undulaeflia, C. mucronata, C. guineensis and C. sebaculis.

• C. undulaefolia is an important sps which is grown for commercial value across the world.

• C. undulaefolia : Short branching perennial shrubs of about 30-90cm height, leaves are about 5-12 cm, dark green, lustrous and pointed with wavy margin.

• Flowers showy, bright orange, salmon to scarlet in color. Borne in large densely packed spikes. Flowers have spiny bract.

• C. guineensis: free flowering, about30-60cm height bracts don’t bear spines and are pale lilac in colour.

• It can be grown both in sunny situation as well as in partial shade.

• C. nilotica: 60cm height stem is semi woody leaves are elliptic, dark green and glossy, borne in dense spikes. Bracts are hairy. Each flower consists of a long slender corolla tube at the end of which there are 5 lobes. Lower 3 petals form a lip. Suited for partial shade.

• C. flava: • Unbranched shrub. 15-20cm tall with green and erect stem.

Leaves are green and erect stem. Leaves are glabrous , opposite, obovate to lanceolate in shape and dark green in color. Spike is four sided with yellow green spiny bracts. Spikes are bright yellow

• C. pungens: dense sub shrub upto 60cm tall. Leaves oblong pale green, traced with pearly veins. Spikes are yellow in color, congested, bracts broadly ovate, spiny.

C. mucronata

Cultivars • Orange, Delhi, Lutea Yellow and Sebaculis Red are four different

cultivars of the species.

1. Orange Crossandra is tetraploid (2n=40), sets seeds profusely, breeds true and produces bright orange coloured flowers.

2. The cultivar Delhi is triploid (2n=30) and produces more attractive flowers of bright deep orange colour.

3. Lutea Yellow is tetraploid (2n=40) and the flowers are orange yellow colour. Used as front line of shrubery and hangging baskets.

4. Sebaculis Red is tetraploid (2n=40) and hardy cultivar, which possesses high degree of tolerance to nematodes.

Methods of crop improvement

• Introduction• Selection Induced mutation Chemicals Irradiation• Hybridisation

Breeding objectives• (1) To breed low-maintenance and drought

tolerant ornamental plants for landscape or container use.

• (2) To breed sterile, non-invasive plants of in a range of flower colors.

• A Swedish cultivar, ‘Mona Wallhed’, - shiny black-green foliage and a very compact habit of growth.

• Leaves are lustrous and vivid green. Flowers are deep salmon to pink, irregular with prominent bract.

Introduction

Selection Fortuna:

it is a breakthrough in Crossandra breeding. It has greatly improved root system, which makes the plant far more resistant to temperature fluctuations. It has more lavish flowering, glossier foliage, brighter coloured flowers and the extended life of the plant. 

It has a longer flowering period as the entire spike flowers so that the plant retains its ornamental value longer.

Diane:

• A new and distinct cultivar of Crossandra infundibuliformis to be known as `Diane`, having larger sized and more broadly shaped leaves,.

• More robust and compact habit of growth and its flowers color is a dark, richer shade of salmon orange.

• Petals are more rounded and larger in size than those of the commonly cultivated variety.

Induced mutation • Kanakadhara: • It is a mutant of Delhi crossandra, developed using sodium

azide.

• It produced brilliant orange flowers of normal size, and it had unique floral characteristics.

• It can yield 25 per cent more flowers than Delhi crossandra. propagated vegetatively for distribution to the growers.

• Vijaya Kanakambaram:• is a mutant of local variety developed by treating the seeds

with colchicine.• This tall variety is of free branching type with sturdy stems

that cannot be easily broken.• It has long inflorescence like Delhi crossandra, and flowers

profusely. • The large flowers will be light reddish orange, and it yields

three times more than the local varieties. • On an average it can yield 75 kg flowers per day per

hectare from the 90 th day after planting.

• Raj Kankambaram:

• It is a mutant of Delhi crossandra, and it has leaf variations.

• Its inflorescence is also long (15 cm), and it produces deep orange flowers.

• It also yields upto 75 kg flowers daily per hectare under sound management practices.

• ``The attractive flowers of this variety will fetch as high as Rs 200 per kg in the market''

• Subasu: • is also a mutant of Delhi crossandra, and it resembles the

parent. • It has long inflorescence and light orange, medium-sized

flowers.

• Lakshmi: is a mutant of local yellow variety, and it produces large leaves.

• It produces big, deep yellow flowers in long inflorescence (15 cm).

• It can yield 37.5 to 50 kg flowers a day from a hectare, and the flowers will fetch Rs. 70 to Rs. 100 per kg in the market.

• Neelambari: • It is also a mutant of local yellow variety, and it has dense

green foliage.• It produces normal sized flowers in long inflorescence.

• Maruvur arasi: • It is a red color mutant of Delhi cross by gamma irradiation. It

shows bright deep red coloration of flowers. • The flowers stalks are longer than normal and bear over 75

flowers.

• In Srilanka, in -vitro shoots of crossandra var. Danica were exposed to different doses of gamma rays.

• A mutant was labeled as a new cv. in the name of Savindi and released as a novel ornamental product in the international flower trade.

Hybridisation • The breeding work done at TNAU resulted in two hybrids.• One resistant hybrid is developed from crossing between two

local types collected from Palani and madhuramalai hills. • Flowers are large with very attractive with yellowish orange

petals.

• Highly tolerant to nematodes.• Another hybrid was evolved by crossing the orange flowered

cv. with Sebaculis Red produces very attractive dark pink flowers.

• Two hybrids were selected from IIHR Banglore

a)IIHR 2004-9: Crossandra hybrid with novel colour. b)IIHR 2004-11:Crossandra hybrid with bigger sized

flowers.

• These hybrids may be recommended for commercial cultivation of loose flowers and potted plants. Since the flowers are novel in colour and size they may fetch fancy price in the market.

• There are unusual light green with violet color flowers.

• There are others with saffron yellow, greenish yellow, pink and white flowers.

• There are varieties of green leaves with creamy veins.

• Some rare colors like turquoise are also available.

• C. greenstockii is a wild sps.

Shamrock crossandra

Orange marmalade

Yellow splash

sundanceTropic flame