Artificial hybridization inAbies

Crossability relationships between Korean firs Abies koreana, A. nephrolepis and A. holophylla and some other representatives of the genus Abies

“…Specific rather than general combining abilities have been postulated to exist among 9 Abies species of the North American, Mediterranean and Asian origin as well as among 6 species and varieties of firs native to North America (Mergen et al 1964;Hawley & DeHayes 1985). Also, only 5 of the 21 interspecific combinations of California species tested by Critchfield (1988) proved to be compatible indicating that differential ability of Abies species to intercross may be utilized in evaluating their systematic status and evolutionary relationships.…”

“…Only a slight differentiation within a group of Mediterranean species has also been proved by Scaltsoyiannes et al, (1999) using isozyme markers. Available hybridological data also indicate an extensive hybridization, taking place among Asian species (Klaehn & Winieski 1962;Mergen et al 1964). In particular, it is true of Abies species indigenous to Japan, which are supposed to intercross mutually irrespective of their taxonomic position (Iizuka et al 2000;Isoda et al 2000).…”

“…However, further experiments have proved only partial validity of this conclusion. Using species of the same geographic regions, Mergen et al (1964) found only a small share of attempted crosses to be successful, a higher degree of compatibility being characteristic for the crosses within geographic regions than for the crosses between regions. The greatest inter-regional compatibility was obtained when Asian female trees were pollinated by American species.…”

“…Regarding Asian species, they have been neglected or studied incompletely in the experiments mentioned above, mainly due to the lack of them in the areas where studies have been conducted (Klaehn & Winieski 1962;Mergen et al 1964). Recently, Iizuka et al (2000) reported of the interspecific hybrids A. sachalinensis × A. homolepis and A. sachalinensis × A. veitchii obtained in Japan indicating resumed concern about crossability relationships between Abies sp.…”

“…Its counterpart of the section Elate, e. g. A. koreana, has been successfully crossed with A. cephalonica var. appolinis, A. la- (Mergen et al 1964;Klaehn & Winieski1962;Kobliha 1994). There is no report available concerning crossing ability of the species A. holophylla of the section Homolepides.…”