Hybridization in Gloriosa superba L.

Hybridization between genetically distinct populations of a single species can serve as an important stimulus for the evolution of invasiveness. Such intraspecific hybridization was examined in Gloriosa superba, a medicinal and an emerging cut flower species. The direct and reciprocal cross of the parents in the intraspecific crosses made among germplasm of G. superba resulted in more than 90 per cent of pod set. The parent GS 09 either as male or female parent gave maximum pod set, fresh pod weight, number of seeds per pod, fresh seed weight per pod. The F₁ hybrids recorded the maximum mean value forall the characters over the parental mean except number of leaves per plant.