CROSS COMPATIBILITY OF TEA (CAMELLIA-SINENSIS) AND ITS ALLIED SPECIES IN THE GENUS CAMELLIA

Interspecific cross compatibility between Camellia sinensis and its allied 26 species of 7 subgeneric sections in the genus Camellia was examined. The interspecific crossing abilities varied among the cross combinations, and the fruit-bearing rates were in the range from 0 to 42.6%. The interspecific hybrids obtained from the crossings of C. sinenis with C. japonica, C. pitardii, C. assimilis, C. caudata, C. salicifolia, C. irrawadiensis and C. taliensis showed very low pollen fertilities. Morphological characteristics of those hybrids, including size and shape of leaves, flowers and tree performance, were generally intermediate of their parental species. The hybrids between C. sinensis and C. japonica showed a high level of resistance to such diseases as tea gray bright and tea anthracnose and to cold damage in winter as well. It was presumed that the F1 plants which were obtained from the crossing of C. sinensis with C. sasanqua, C. brevistyla and C. oleifera used as a male parent might be developed through parthenogenesis of a reduced gamete. The cross compatibilities between C. sinensis and subgeneric sections of genus Camellia are: Thea > Camelliopsis > Paracamellia = Camellia = Theopsis > Heterogenea = Corallina.