Plant Variety Journal - IP Australia

Plant Varieties Journal Vol. 23 Number 4
from a single colchicine treated ‘Seal’ plant. Seeds were germinated in a Petri-dish on filter
paper soaked in gibberellic acid to induce germination. Nine of the seeds germinated and
plants were potted up and grown until flowering. The plants were grown under the same
conditions as the parent plants above. Cuttings from individual plants were propagated and
planted in the field collection to observe their morphology and performance. Between the
nine plants grown some morphological variation was seen, however, most were more
vigorous and much larger plants than the parent variety ‘Seal’. The plant with the greatest
vigour and largest flowers was selected. This plant was designated ‘Riverina Alan’ or
CSU138. All plants called ‘Riverina Alan’ were clonally propagated as cuttings from the one
plant. Characteristics of L. x intermedia ‘Riverina Alan’ are that it is a larger plant than ‘Seal’
with larger leaves and flowers. It has thicker peduncles and stems, it retains the open form of
‘Seal’ with long peduncles but flowers slightly earlier than Seal. From chromosome number
estimates and flow cytometry analysis of nuclear DNA content ‘Riverina Alan’ and the other
‘Seal’ derived seedlings are approximately triploid whereas the parent ‘Seal’ was diploid.
‘Riverina Alan’ is infertile and has not produced any seed tested over two seasons in the
collection at CSU. In summary, the diploid L. x intermedia Seal (infertile) was converted to a
tetraploid (fertile). Following open pollination of the tetraploid seeds were collected from
these and ‘Riverina Alan’ is a seedling selected on the basis of size of whole plant and
various plant organs.
Choice of Comparators Characteristics used for grouping varieties to identify the most similar Variety of
Common Knowledge
Organ/Plant Part Context State of Expression in Group of Varieties
Plant size medium
Most Similar Varieties of Common Knowledge identified (VCK)
Name
Comments
‘Seal’
Parent.
‘Hidcote Giant’
‘Impress Purple’
‘Grosso’
‘Riverina Thomas’
Variety Description and Distinctness - Characteristics which distinguish the candidate
from one or more of the comparators are marked with a tick.
Organ/Plant Part: ‘Riverina
‘Hidcote ‘Impress ‘Riverina
‘Grosso’
Context
Alan’
Giant’ Purple’ Thomas’
*Plant: growth
habit
‘Seal’
bushy globular globular globular globular bushy
*Plant: size medium medium medium medium medium medium
Plant: intensity of
green colour of foliage
Plant: intensity of
grey tinge of foliage
*Plant: attitude of
outer flowering stems
medium medium medium medium medium medium
medium to
strong
medium to
strong
medium to
strong
medium to
strong
medium to
strong
erect semi-erect erect semi-erect semi-erect erect
medium to
strong
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