Morphological characterization of interspecific lily hybrids with multiple flower stalks derived from Lilium concolor Salisb. var. mutsuanum Makino

Lilium concolor Salisb. var. mutsuanum Makino can produce multiple flower stalks from the same bulb, and our ultimate goal is to develop new lily cultivars with this unique trait. Interspecific crosses of L. concolor var. mutsuanum and the Asiatic lily hybrid 'Avignon' were carried out with intrastylar pollination and ovule culture, and 49 hybrid strains were acquired. In this study, morphological characterization of the flowering of 46 hybrid strains was performed in the third year after acclimation. Fifteen hybrid strains produced one stalk per bulb, 10 hybrid strains produced two stalks per bulb and five hybrid strains produced three stalks per bulb, and the strains with the most stalks per bulb had nine stalks. The hybrid strains with a large number of stalks per bulb had lower plant height, thinner stalks, and fewer flowers per stalk. There was no significant correlation between the number of stalks per bulb and the number of flowers per bulb or flower diameter. The average flower diameter was approximately 10 cm. A positive correlation was found between the stalk diameter and number of flowers per stalk; the thicker the stalk, the more flowers set.