Crossandra (Crossandra undulaefolia Salisb.) is one of the important loose flowers grown in South India. The flowers are commonly used for hair adornment and religious purposess. The common cultivar under cultivation is the one producing orange red coloured flowers. No commercial cultivars have been released so far, however some varieties have been released by private breeders. Hybridization between the Local cultivars from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Pudichery and improved cultivars of Lakshmi and Delhi Crossandra yielded many F1 hybrids with varying morphological characters. Two Ft hybrids IIHR 2004–09 and IIHR 2004–11 were selected among the large number of hybrids for their unique larger size, which is 67 and 69 % higher than the Local cultivars, respectively. These hybrids may be recommended for commercial cultivation of loose flowers and potted plants. Since the flowers are novel in colour and size they may fetch fancy price in the market.
Crossandra, Heterosis, Homozygous, Hybridization, Loose Flower
