Evaluation of Morphological Variation and Agronomichorticultural Characteristics of Indigenous Lilium poilanei Gagn

Abstract

In Vietnam, three wild species of the genus Lilium have been identified so far including Lilium brownii F.E Brown, Lilium poilanei Gagn. and Lilium arboricola. Among them, L. poilanei has been become a very rare species in the world. Indigenous germplasm of L. poilanei have been collected from Sapa, Lao Cai province and examined for morphological and horticultural characteristics for documentation which will be useful for future breeding program. Morphological analysis on flowers and bulbs revealed a wide variability among the accessions. The research on dormant characteristics and the effect of low temperature treatment on dormancy breaking of the seed bulbs was conducted. Keeping the bulbs under 4⁰C condition shortened dormancy period and duration from germination to flowering of the bulbs. Six weeks of low temperature (4⁰C) treatment appeared an optimal duration for breaking dormancy. This was also the most suitable duration that the bulbs could maintain good growth and development. However, L. poilanei  gave poor quality of flowers under high temperature growing condition and hence a breeding strategy needs to be developed to improve this germlasm for further commercial purposes.