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C . × hortulanum due to the interspecific hybridizations made among four caladium species. Most commercial caladium plants are produced by forcing tubers. Florida growers produce essentially all the caladium tubers used in the United States and
Abstract
Stored ‘Candidum,’ ‘Carolyn Whorton,’ and ‘Frieda Hemple’ caladium tubers were soaked for 0, 4, 8, 16, 32, or 64 hours in 0, 250, 500, or 1000 mg/liter gibberellic acid (GA3) solutions to determine if flowering could be enhanced during the subsequent forcing period. Mean number of inflorescences produced per plant with no soaking was 0.2, 0.7, and 0.0 for ‘Frieda Hemple,’ ‘Candidum,’ and ‘Carolyn Whorton’ respectively, while tubers soaked in 250 mg/liter GA3 for 16 hours at 23°C averaged 2.4, 3.7, and 4.0 inflorescences per plant, respectively. There was no significant difference in number of inflorescences per plant from tubers treated with 250, 500, and 1000 mg/liter GA3. Optimum soaking time was 8 hours for ‘Frieda Hemple’ and ‘Carolyn Whorton,’ and 16 hours for ‘Candidum.’
Cultivated caladiums ( Caladium × hortulanum Birdsey) are members of the aroid family and have been important pot and landscape plants ( Evans et al., 1992 ). They are known for their bright and colorful leaves, adaptation to tropical and
Caladiums ( Caladium × hortulanum Birdsey) are ornamental aroids valued for their bright, colorful leaves. They are widely used in landscapes, especially in the southern United States, and in production of pot plants worldwide ( Evans et al
caladium cultivars in controlled environments, suggesting that there may be varying levels of resistance to S. sclerotiorum within cultivars of caladium. The pedigrees of many cultivars of Caladium ×hortulanum are unknown, but most are believed to
their excellent technical support. This research was funded by the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station (FAES) and grants from the Florida Caladium Growers' Association and the Gloeckner Foundation.
Caladiums (Caladium×hortulanum) are ornamental aroids often forced in containers or grown in the landscape for their colorful leaves. The aesthetic value of caladium plants is largely determined by their leaf characteristics. Caladium breeding can be traced back to the mid-1800s when Gregor Mendel conducted his plant hybridization experiments, but information on the inheritance of caladium traits has been rather scant. To understand the mode of inheritance for three typical leaf shapes and three main vein colors in caladium, controlled crosses were made among commercial cultivars and breeding lines, and segregation of leaf shape and/or main vein color in the progeny was analyzed. The observed segregation ratios indicated that a single locus with three alleles seemed to determine the main vein color in caladium. The white vein allele was dominant over the green vein allele, but recessive to the red vein allele, which was dominant over both white and green vein alleles. The three leaf shapes (fancy, lance, and strap) in caladium seemed to be controlled by two co-dominant alleles at one locus. Leaf shape segregation was skewed in some crosses, which might imply the existence of other factors involved in caladium leaf shape development. Chi-square tests revealed that leaf shape and main vein color were inherited independently in caladium.
excellent technical support. This research was funded in part by grants from the Florida Caladium Growers' Association. We appreciate R. Hartman's generous donation of tissue cultured caladium plants for this study.
Experiments with' White Christmas' and `Carolyn Wharton' caladiums (Caladium × hortulanum Birdsey), croton (Codiaeum variegatum), brassaia (Brassaia actinophylla Endl.), `Annette Hegg Dark Red' poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima Wind.), and `Super Elfin Red' and `Show Stopper' impatiens [Impatiens wallerana (L.) Hook.f.] determined effectiveness of paclobutrazol in solid spike form as compared to media drench applications for height control. Paclobutrazol drenches and spikes were effective for all crops tested, with a similar concentration response for all, except that drenches had greater efficacy than spikes on caladium. A reduced effect was observed when spikes were placed on the medium surface of `Super Elfin Red' impatiens, while placement in the middle of the pot or around the side was equally effective. These results indicate that the spike formulation of paclobutrazol has potential to provide adequate size control for floriculture crops with the possible exception of rapidly developing crops, such as caladiums. Chemical name used: (2RS, 3RS)-1-(4-chlorophenyl)-4,4-dimethyl-2-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl-) penten-3-ol (paclobutrazol).
Florida Agricultural Experiment Station Journal Series no. R-00063. Appreciation is extended to Bates & Sons Caladiums, Lake Placid, Fla., for supplying plant material and partial funding for this project. The cost of publishing this paper