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Submitted to: Flower Breeding and Genetics: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities for the 21st Century (Kluwer)
Publication Type: Book / Chapter Publication Acceptance Date: 9/29/2005 Publication Date: 5/27/2006 Citation: Pooler, M.R. 2006. Crapmyrtle - Lagerstroemia indica. In N.O. Anderson (ed). Flower breeding and genetics. Issues, challenges, and opportunities for the 21st century. 2:428-449. Springer, New York. Interpretive Summary: The crapemyrtle has become a mainstay in mild-climate landscapes because of its ease of production and cultivation, long-lasting mid summer bloom, range of plant habits from miniature potted plant to large tree, and diversity of landscape uses. Important traits for both production and landscape use include flower color and bloom time, plant habit and form, cold hardiness, and disease and pest resistance. Breeding efforts in crapemyrtle should focus on elucidating the inheritance of some of these traits, as well as broadening the genetic base of cultivated Lagerstroemia through interspecific hybridization or direct gene transfer. Technical Abstract: The crapemyrtle has become a mainstay in mild-climate landscapes because of its ease of production and cultivation, long-lasting mid summer bloom, range of plant habits from miniature potted plant to large tree, and diversity of landscape uses. Important traits for both production and landscape use include flower color and bloom time, plant habit and form, cold hardiness, and disease and pest resistance. Breeding efforts in crapemyrtle should focus on elucidating the inheritance of some of these traits, as well as broadening the genetic base of cultivated Lagerstroemia through interspecific hybridization or direct gene transfer. |
