July 28, 2019

Hybrid of Hardy Tamarillo’s (Cyphomandra corymbiflora x fragrans) - part 2

On March 2019 I described my experiment with crossing of two half-hardy tamarillo species: Hardy Tamarillo Cyphomandra corymbiflora (female parent) and male Guava Tamarillo C. fragrans = C. diploconos (male parent). Now one of my hybrid plants is in flowers, so I am posting the new photos and description of an appearance of the hybrid (in table - comparison with the parents).
There is a table with comparison on various features of parents and the hybrid:


Features
hardy tamarillo
(Cyphomandra corymbiflora)
hybrid F1
(Cyphomandra corymbiflora x fragrans)
guava tamarillo
(Cyphomandra fragrans)
Leaf shiness
not shiny, mat
shiny
very shiny
Juvenile leaves lobation, size and color
entire, large, dark green
3(5) lobed (shallowly), very huge, dark green
5 lobed (deeply), medium-large, bright green
Mature leaf size and colour
large, dark green
medium-large, light-bright green
medium, light- bright green
Leaves thicknes
leathery, thin
leathery, rather thin
thick, waxy, rigid
Leaves hairless
glabrescent
almost glabrous
glabrous
Leaves longevity
deciduous
?
half-evergreen
Trunk base thickness
not thick,
slender
not very thick, rather slender
very thick,
conical
Time from sowing of seeds to blooming (in my experience)

about 1 year

about 0,5 year

8 years
Blooming time
(at my northern 50° latitude)

from June

from July

from August
Size of plant when has first flowers
about 0,5-1m
(= 2-3ft)
about 1m (= 3ft)
about 2m (= 7ft)
Type of inflorescence
dichotomous
corymb-like
scorpioid raceme (rarely dichotomous)
scorpioid raceme (often dichotomous)
Young corolla color and shape
purple,stellate
purple, campanulate-stellate, irregulary opened
purple,
funelliform
Older corolla color and shape
lavender-white, stellate
pale lavender, (camanulate-)stellate with a little twisted petals
yellowish,
funelliform
Anthers color
yellow
yellow-purplish
purple
Stigma appearance
small,
inconspicious
wide, capitate, large
wide, capitate, very large
Fruit appearance
pale green, dark green stipped, hairy
?
yellow,
glabrescent

Fruit taste and skin texture

gentle aromatic, mild, tasty raw, skin soft

?
very aromatic, acidous, good for preserves, skin very strong
Frost hardiness
(-8)-(-10) C degree
(= 14-17 F degree)
?
- 3 C degree
(= 26 F degree)
Drought resistance
rather small
small
very resistant
..and the photos:
The most (about 7 for 10 ones in my experience) of seedlings were chlorotic, not deloped well and died fastly
But some seedlings was healthy and green
Young plants
The hybrid had lobed juvenile leaves (as male parent)
Juvenile leaves were usually 3-lobed and huge size
Hybrid plant started to blooming after a few months from seed (about half year old)
It started to blooming in July, so it blooms later than female parent (C. corymbiflora) and faster than male one (C. fragrans)

The stem was interesting maculated

.. and the trunk slender like on female parent, not swolen much
The flower in first day (purple petals)
... and in the second day (pale lavender)
I am trying to make backrosses with C. corymbiflora, because according prof. Lynn Bohs they are viable. In the future I am going to make pollination hybrid flower by pollen of other the hybrid (to obtain F2 hybrids) but now it is impossible because I have only on flowering hybrid plant (it is said to be self-incompatible as parents)



Hybrid of Hardy Tamarillo’s (Cyphomandra corymbiflora x fragrans) - current update

 We are pleased to have good news. Just yesterday an article was published about the new varieties of Tamarillo that we later breded. The en...