DIFFERENCES IN FLOWER AND FRUIT CHARACTERISTICS IN SOME STRAWBERRY CULTIVARS

Differences in floral and fruit characteristics of strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.), were investigated, especially with respect to the relationship between the maturity of pistils at anthesis and the final fruit shape. The primary (first), secondary (third) and teritary (5th) flowers on the single truss on six cultivars: Ai-Berry, Hokowase, Reiko, Toyonoka, Nyoho, and Morioka No. 16 were examined. 1. The primary flower of 'Ai-Berry' had the largest number of rows of pistils from the base to the apex of the receptacle; the others had about the same number of rows of pistils. At anthesis, ovaries on the distal region of the receptacles were small and still immature; those of 'Hokowase' were intermediate in size, whereas the ovaries of the remaining 4 cultivars were large and mature. The ratio of ovary daimeter on the apex and base of receptacle (T/B ratio) was significantly smaller in 'Ai-Berry' when compared with the others. There were high correlations between fruit malformation due to poorly developed achenes on the distal end of the fruit with a) the number of rows of pistils; b) diameters of ovaries of pistils on the apex of receptacles at anthesis; and c) the T/B ratio. 2. In 'Ai-Berry', there was a negative correlation between the number of rows of pistils and the diameter of the ovaries on the apex of receptacle. A similar correlation exist in 'Hokowase' which is the pollen parent of 'Ai-Berry'. Therefore, 'Ai-Berry' may have inherited the wide range of pistil maturity from the apex to the base of receptacles at anthesis from 'Hokowase'.