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The main function of floral scent is to attract and guide pollinators, but it is also an important character in the ornamental plant industry. Several studies have considered the chemical evaluation of floral scent during vase life, but only a few have considered sensorial analysis of this character, which is a very important quality trait for the marketing of ornamental plants. This study focused on assessing the floral scent of three fragrant cut flowers of high economic importance: Lilium, chrysanthemum, and freesia. Eighty individuals were included in a sensorial analysis where the attributes of floral scent liking and intensity were evaluated. The composition of the floral scent was analyzed through the collection of headspace followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The floral scents of oriental lily and freesia were perceived as more intense, compared to chrysanthemum. A total of 28 volatile compounds were detected and the monoterpenes β-pinene (40.7 ± 1.8 μg·L−1), β-cis-ocimene (5552 ± 990 μg·L−1), and linalool (11,800 ± 220 μg·L−1) were the major volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in chrysanthemum, lilium, and freesia, respectively. The results presented in this study confirm that the concentration and abundance of volatile compounds is not directly related to the human perception of floral scent.

Alstroemeria is a genus native to South America from which many varieties of ornamental plants have been developed and introduced into the market. Interspecific hybridization followed by embryo rescue has been one of the most common breeding techniques to obtain new varieties. This study was aimed at obtaining alstroemeria hybrids through interspecific crosses using novel scented parental lines and assessing these hybrids. A total of 3669 embryos were rescued, from which 18 flowering plants were morphologically evaluated. Flower stem length ranged from 25 (14E07) to 83 cm (14A11) and most of the flowers showed pink/white colors with stripes over the inner tepals. Only 3 hybrids were perceived as scented and one of them (14E08) was evaluated through GC-MS analysis, detecting 9 VOCs, all of them monoterpenes. Molecular analysis using RAPD markers clustered two main groups: (A) hybrids with A. pelegrina as parental line and (B) hybrids coming from the crossing UC05 9 C3 and its reciprocal. Moreover through this analysis was possible to subcluster hybrids coming from different seasons. A protocol for obtaining alstroemeria hybrids was successfully developed for this species using molecular and phenotypic evaluation to provide information about their pedigree and to spot those traits which are attractive for the ornamental plant market.

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Flower colour is mainly due to the accumulation of flavonoids, carotenoids and betalains in the petals. Of these pigments, flavonoids are responsible for a wide variety of colours ranging from pale yellow (flavones, flavonols and flavanodiols) to blue-violet (anthocyanins). This character plays a crucial ecological role by attracting and guiding pollinators. Moreover, in the ornamental plants market, colour has been consistently identified as the main feature chosen by consumers when buying flowers. Considering the importance of this character, the aim of this study was to evaluate flower colour in the native Chilean geophyte Alstroemeria pallida, by using three different approaches. Firstly, the phenotype was assessed using both a colour chart and a colourimeter, obtaining CIELab parameters. Secondly, the anthocyanin content of the pigmented tepals was evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and finally, the expression of two key flavonoid genes, chalcone synthase (CHS) and anthocyanidin synthase (ANS) was analysed using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Visual evaluation of A. pallida flower colour identified 5 accessions, ranging from white (Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) N999D) to pink (RHS 68C). Moreover, this visual evaluation of the accessions correlated highly with the CIELab parameters obtained by colourimetry. An anthocyanidin corresponding to a putative 6-hydroxycyanidin was identified, which was least abundant in the white accession (RHS N999D). Although CHS was not expressed differentially between the accessions, the expression of ANS was significantly higher in the accession with pink flowers (RHS 68C). These results suggest a correlation between phenotype, anthocyanin content and ANS expression for determining flower colour of A. pallida, which could be of interest for further studies, especially those related to the breeding of this species with ornamental value.