Breeding in Crossandra

Breeding in crossandra
Pavani.U
RHD/09-02
Taxonomy
S.N: Crossandra infundibulifolia

syn. C. undulaeformis
C.N: Fire cracker plant, Kanakambaram
Family: Acanthaceae
2n = 40
Origin: Indo - malaya region
• Crossandra is derived from Greek word krossoi – fringe,

Aner – male i.e fringed anthers.
Distribution
• Crossandra plants are distributed in tropical as
well as subtropical regions of the world such
as south asia, south america, south africa and
Madagaskar.
• In India it is commercially cultivated in

Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and A.P
Botany
• Crossandra is evergreen shrub of minor importance.
• The leaves are upright, some what toothed and often

verticillate.
• Inflorescence is hairy, flowers appear in dense sessile

spikes, red to yellow, with prominent bracts.
• Corolla cylindrical, more or less curved, stamens 4 in

pairs.
Species and cultivars
• The genus consists of around 40-50 sps of tropical plants with
only a few cultivated sps such as
C. undulaeflia,
C. mucronata,
C. guineensis and
C. sebaculis.
• C. undulaefolia is an important sps which is grown for

commercial value across the world.
• C. undulaefolia : Short branching perennial shrubs of
about 30-90cm height, leaves are about 5-12 cm, dark
green, lustrous and pointed with wavy margin.
• Flowers showy, bright orange, salmon to scarlet in
color. Borne in large densely packed spikes. Flowers
have spiny bract.
• C. guineensis: free flowering, about30-60cm height bracts don’t
bear spines and are pale lilac in colour.
• It can be grown both in sunny situation as well as in partial

shade.
• C. nilotica: 60cm height stem is semi woody leaves
are elliptic, dark green and glossy, borne in dense
spikes. Bracts are hairy. Each flower consists of a
long slender corolla tube at the end of which there are
5 lobes. Lower 3 petals form a lip. Suited for partial
shade.
• C. flava:
• Unbranched shrub. 15-20cm tall with green and erect stem.
Leaves are green and erect stem. Leaves are glabrous ,
opposite, obovate to lanceolate in shape and dark green in
color. Spike is four sided with yellow green spiny bracts.
Spikes are bright yellow
• C. pungens: dense sub shrub upto 60cm tall. Leaves
oblong pale green, traced with pearly veins. Spikes are yellow
in color, congested, bracts broadly ovate, spiny.
C. mucronata
Cultivars
• Orange, Delhi, Lutea Yellow and Sebaculis Red are four different
cultivars of the species.
1. Orange Crossandra is tetraploid (2n=40), sets seeds profusely,

breeds true and produces bright orange coloured flowers.
2. The cultivar Delhi is triploid (2n=30) and produces more

attractive flowers of bright deep orange colour.
3. Lutea Yellow is tetraploid (2n=40) and the flowers are orange

yellow colour. Used as front line of shrubery and hangging baskets.
4. Sebaculis Red is tetraploid (2n=40) and hardy cultivar, which

possesses high degree of tolerance to nematodes.
Methods of crop improvement
• Introduction
• Selection
Induced mutation
Chemicals
Irradiation
• Hybridisation
Breeding objectives
• (1) To breed low-maintenance and drought
tolerant ornamental plants for landscape or
container use.
• (2) To breed sterile, non-invasive plants of in a

range of flower colors.
Introduction
• A Swedish cultivar, ‘Mona Wallhed’, - shiny black-green
foliage and a very compact habit of growth.
• Leaves are lustrous and vivid green. Flowers are deep salmon
to pink, irregular with prominent bract.
Selection
Fortuna:
it is a breakthrough in Crossandra breeding. It has
greatly improved root system, which makes the plant
far more resistant to temperature fluctuations. It has
more lavish flowering, glossier foliage, brighter
coloured flowers and the extended life of the plant.
It has a longer flowering period as the entire spike

flowers so that the plant retains its ornamental value
longer.
Diane:
• A new and distinct cultivar of Crossandra infundibuliformis to

be known as `Diane`, having larger sized and more broadly
shaped leaves,.
• More robust and compact habit of growth and its flowers color
is a dark, richer shade of salmon orange.
• Petals are more rounded and larger in size than those of the
commonly cultivated variety.
Induced mutation
• Kanakadhara:
• It is a mutant of Delhi crossandra, developed using sodium
azide.
• It produced brilliant orange flowers of normal size, and it had

unique floral characteristics.
• It can yield 25 per cent more flowers than Delhi crossandra.

propagated vegetatively for distribution to the growers.
• Vijaya Kanakambaram:
• is a mutant of local variety developed by treating the seeds
with colchicine.
• This tall variety is of free branching type with sturdy stems
that cannot be easily broken.
• It has long inflorescence like Delhi crossandra, and flowers
profusely.
• The large flowers will be light reddish orange, and it yields
three times more than the local varieties.
• On an average it can yield 75 kg flowers per day per
hectare from the 90 th day after planting.
• Raj Kankambaram:
• It is a mutant of Delhi crossandra, and it has leaf

variations.
• Its inflorescence is also long (15 cm), and it produces

deep orange flowers.
• It also yields upto 75 kg flowers daily per hectare

under sound management practices.
• ``The attractive flowers of this variety will fetch as

high as Rs 200 per kg in the market''
• Subasu:
• is also a mutant of Delhi crossandra, and it resembles the
parent.
• It has long inflorescence and light orange, medium-sized
flowers.
• Lakshmi: is a mutant of local yellow variety, and it produces

large leaves.
• It produces big, deep yellow flowers in long inflorescence (15
cm).
• It can yield 37.5 to 50 kg flowers a day from a hectare, and the
flowers will fetch Rs. 70 to Rs. 100 per kg in the market.
• Neelambari:
• It is also a mutant of local yellow variety, and it has dense
green foliage.
• It produces normal sized flowers in long inflorescence.
• Maruvur arasi:
• It is a red color mutant of Delhi cross by gamma irradiation. It
shows bright deep red coloration of flowers.
• The flowers stalks are longer than normal and bear over 75
flowers.
• In Srilanka, in -vitro shoots of crossandra var. Danica
were exposed to different doses of gamma rays.
• A mutant was labeled as a new cv. in the name of

Savindi and released as a novel ornamental product
in the international flower trade.
Hybridisation
• The breeding work done at TNAU resulted in two hybrids.
• One resistant hybrid is developed from crossing between two
local types collected from Palani and madhuramalai hills.
• Flowers are large with very attractive with yellowish orange
petals.
• Highly tolerant to nematodes.

• Another hybrid was evolved by crossing the orange flowered
cv. with Sebaculis Red produces very attractive dark pink
flowers.
• Two hybrids were selected from IIHR Banglore
a)IIHR 2004-9: Crossandra hybrid with novel colour.

b)IIHR 2004-11:Crossandra hybrid with bigger sized
flowers.
• 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.
• There are unusual light green with violet color
flowers.
• There are others with saffron yellow, greenish
yellow, pink and white flowers.
• There are varieties of green leaves with creamy
veins.
• Some rare colors like turquoise are also
available.
• C. greenstockii is a wild sps.
Shamrock
crossandra
Orange marmalade Yellow splash
Tropic flame sundance

Breeding in Crossandra

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Breeding in Crossandra

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Breeding in crossandra

S.N: Crossandra infundibulifolia

• Crossandra is derived from Greek word krossoi – fringe,

• In India it is commercially cultivated in

• The leaves are upright, some what toothed and often

• Inflorescence is hairy, flowers appear in dense sessile

• Corolla cylindrical, more or less curved, stamens 4 in

• C. undulaefolia is an important sps which is grown for

• It can be grown both in sunny situation as well as in partial

1. Orange Crossandra is tetraploid (2n=40), sets seeds profusely,

2. The cultivar Delhi is triploid (2n=30) and produces more

3. Lutea Yellow is tetraploid (2n=40) and the flowers are orange

4. Sebaculis Red is tetraploid (2n=40) and hardy cultivar, which

• (2) To breed sterile, non-invasive plants of in a

It has a longer flowering period as the entire spike

• A new and distinct cultivar of Crossandra infundibuliformis to

• It produced brilliant orange flowers of normal size, and it had

• It can yield 25 per cent more flowers than Delhi crossandra.

• It is a mutant of Delhi crossandra, and it has leaf

• Its inflorescence is also long (15 cm), and it produces

• It also yields upto 75 kg flowers daily per hectare

• ``The attractive flowers of this variety will fetch as

• Lakshmi: is a mutant of local yellow variety, and it produces

• A mutant was labeled as a new cv. in the name of

• Highly tolerant to nematodes.

a)IIHR 2004-9: Crossandra hybrid with novel colour.

• These hybrids may be recommended for commercial

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