Interspecific hybridization of Allium giganteum Regel: production and early verification of putative hybrids

 Cut flowers of Allium giganteum Regel were emasculated and maintained in half-strength Murashige and Skoog liquid medium supplemented with 3% sucrose and 1000 ppm each of Agrimycin^R and Benlate^R. Wide hybridization was attempted and, through embryo rescue, putative hybrids were obtained from crosses involving A. cernuum Roth, A. oreophilum C.A. Mey. and A. schubertii Zucc. PCR amplification of the internal transcribed spacer of ribosomal DNA followed by digestion with NdeII generated restriction profiles that confirmed the hybrid nature of the A. giganteum×A. schubertii progenies. The other putative hybrids were found to be products of self pollination. Received: 15 August 1997 / Accepted: 2 September 1997