MSc

Morphological and compatibili ty s t ud i e s were conducted in
six commercially important varieties of A. andreanum. viz.
Honeymoon red, chilli red, Kalympong orange, Kalympong red, Pink
and white.



The


varieties


s how


distinct


differences


in


the



morphological/floral characters. The larsest plants were
observed in the variety Pink and the shortest variety was
Kalympong red. The average number of leaves produced per year
ranged from 3.5 to 6.5. The leaf plastochron duration was lowest
in the variety White and longest duration was observed in Chilli
red. The commercially valuable small sized leaves we re produced
by White and Chilli red varieties. The bigger sized leaves were
produced by the Pink variety. All the varieties showed
variations in the colour of petioles and young leaves. The
number of spadices produced annually by a plant varied from four
to eight. The duration between the emergence of two successive
spadices ranged from 43 to 51 nays. The spathe size index of all
the varieties were observed. The varieties Pink and Kalympong
red produced super large f lowers and the smallest flowers were
developed in the white variety.

All the varieties showed a wide range of colours; darker
shades of red, orange, pink and white.
The texture of the spathe was either smooth thick and glossy
without prominent veins or deeply veined and blistered.
There was significant correlation between leaf size and
spathe size. The largest leaf size and spathe size was observed
in the variety Pink.
The candle was long and fleshy in the variety Pink and
shortest in the White variety. The candles had either a single
colour or seen in two or more bands of colours.
The maximum angle between the spadix and plane of the spathe
was observed in the Honeymoon red variety. The angle was
smallest in Chilli red. The flowers of anthurium which are
arranged in a spiral manner varied in numbers in the• differents
varieties. The maximum number of flowers were produced in Pink
and Honeymoon red Varieties. The spathe candle ratio was greater
in Kalynpong red and smallest in White. The flowers of anthurium
are bisexual, regular and protogynous. All the six varieties
under the present study showed a distinct interphase. The
longest life of unfertilised spadix was observed in Honeymoon r2.d
and Kalympong red (3.5 months). For fertilised spadices, this
period ranged from 4.5 - 8 months.

Compatibility analysis was done in all the six A. andreanum



varieties


depending on the response of the cultivars to


intervarietal hybridisation at three levels: percentage candles



bearing


fruits,


percentage fruit set/seed set and seed



gernination.
The average percentage
of candles bearing fruits waS



maximum for the variety White and lowest for the variety



Kalympong red.


In this present investigation, the maximum



average number of fruits was produced in the Pink and Honeymoon
red varieties. The maxinum percentage of fruits were harvested
.
from the cross P x HR (52.3%). The duration of fruit maturity
period ranged from 4.5 to 8 months. The average duration of
fruit maturity "as maximum for the variety White. The colour of
fruits varied in different varieties. All the cross combinations
of a variety showed the same colour.
The berries are usually single seeded and sometimes double
seeded. Pink and Honeymoon red varieties produced larqer s i z e d



seeds.


The Kalympong varieties produced comparatively smaller



sized seeds.


Seed germination was observed in all the 23



combinations obtained.


The maximum average germination was



observed in combinations with white as the female parent (63.4%)
and the lowest germination in the variety kalympong orange.
tI
I





\l\Lt8''-\

HR x
Among the 28 cross combinations done,
the highly compatible
crosses were HR x P and P x HR.
The cross combinations,
CR, HR x KR, CR x W, KR x P, P x P and W x KR had medium fruit
set and high germination. The incompatible cross combinations
were KO x KR, CR x HR, CR x P, W x CR, KR x KR and W x KO.