COLLECTING AND STUDYING A COLLECTION OF WILD PERENNIAL SPECIES OF FLAX

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Date posted online

13.06.2017

Institution

Zaporizhzhia National University

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SOURCES AND DONORS

Abstract

Mobilization of species diversity, preservation of genetic and biological material, which is of potential value, is guaranteed by collections.

The Linum L. genus as played an important role in economic and social development of the mankind for thousands of years. It is important to note that this crop has been widely and effectively grown for a long time in different countries on different continents both for oil and for fiber. However, perennial wild species are little investigated, the available information is limited and one dimensional.

Goal. The article is devoted to collecting and studying a collection of wild perennial species of flax to determine prospects of their domestication and to identify valuable traits.

Materials and Methods. The collection includes L. austriacum L., L. hirsutum L., L. Komarovii Juz., L. narbonense L., L. perenne L., L. tenuifolium L., L. thracicum Degen., L. violascens Bge.  L. austriacum and L. hirsutum species are native to the southern steppe of Ukraine, while seeds of the other species were introduced. As vegetative and generative traits, the plant height, leaf morphology, size, shape and color of flowers, color of some parts of flowers, and full length of anthesis time were analyzed during the full blossom stage.

The field experiments were conducted on the experimental plot of the Chair of Landscape Industry and Genetics of Zaporizhzhia State University. Descriptions, measurements and accounting were conducted by conventional methods.

Results and Discussion. It was found that the studied species of flax differed considerably by the major morphometric characteristics. The collection offers a wide range of corolla color: light lilac (L. hirsutum, L. Komarovii); violet (L. violascens); pale pink (L. tenuifolium); yellow (L. thracicum) and dark-blue (L. austriacum, L. narbonense, L. perenne). The plant height of the studied species was in the range of 35 to 75 cm, and the flower diameter – of 27 to 39 mm. All the studied species had developed vegetative parts of the plant colored from blue-green to dark-green. Each of the studied genotypes had a set of ornamental traits and was easy to grow, hence, they all are valuable and promising for domestication resources.

Conclusions. As a result of the research, the collection of wild perennial flax accessions was formed and described. It contains eight genotypes. For the first time, comprehensive comparison was performed ex situ on living material, and the traits which are valuable for future genetic and breeding work were revealed.

Keywords

Linum, wild species, collection, genetic resources, domestication