Information on Flower Coloration and Pigmentation in Current Carnation Cultivars for Use in Future Flower-color Breeding

Abstract

Current carnation cultivars have a wide range of flower colors, which is one of the important traits for the flower market. Since large numbers of commercial carnation cultivars bearing various flower colors and flower color patterns have been developed over the last few decades, a comprehensive understanding of the diversity of flower color characteristics has become difficult to achieve. In this study, 56 standard carnation cultivars and 54 spray carnation cultivars were collected and evaluated in terms of flower color and flower color pattern, two visual traits, and flower pigments. Visual flower color analysis indicated that the flower color pattern of the 110 cultivars could be categorized into five typical types and two minor types, and the five typical types were further classified into 16 sub-types. Additionally, flower colors of these carnations could be categorized into 15 hues. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis indicated that carnation flower color is basically determined by the combination of pelargonidin and cyanidin-based anthocyanins, chalcononaringenin 2'-O-glucoside and chlorophyll, giving cyanic, yellow and green color, respectively. Microscopic observation of the petal epidermis indicated that formation of anthocyanin aggregates in the vacuoles and cell shape affect color perceptions, either metallic or velvety, and this is involved in flower color diversification. A fundamental investigation of flower color characteristics will support further developments in flower-color breeding.

Genome-Wide Identification of the MYB and bHLH Families in Carnations and Expression Analysis at Different Floral Development Stages

“…Carnations are one of the most popular ornamental flowers in the world, with diverse colors and beautiful patterns as one of the key characteristics attracting growers and consumers [34][35][36]. Differences in carnation flower color is the result of many factors, with anthocyanin pigment deposition in petal cells being one of the main factors [2,37]. In ornamental plants studied thus far, MYB transcription factors have been found to be important in the biosynthesis of anthocyanin, as well as bHLH transcription factors, which can interact with MYB-producing proteins to regulate anthocyanin biosynthesis [13,38,39].…”

“…More than 30,000 varieties of carnations have been cultivated worldwide [1], and are fancied by growers and consumers for their large flowers, numerous varieties with diverse colors, and long vase life. Flower color in carnations has long been an important target of artificial selection by plant breeders who are well aware of the economic benefits that new color varieties can yield [2]. Variations in flower color between different lineages and cultivars mainly depend upon pigment formation, with the four major pigments being chlorophyll, carotene, betaine, and flavonoids [3,4].…”

Color components determination and full-length comparative transcriptomic analyses reveal the potential mechanism of carotenoid synthesis during Paphiopedilum armeniacum flowering

“…The petals of P. armeniacum exhibit a predominantly apricot-yellow hue almost as a whole, rendering it a crucial resource for breeding endeavors and serving as fundamental research material ( Mou et al, 2012 ). The cultivation of flower color holds significant prominence in ornamental flower breeding, as alterations in flower coloration have the potential to enhance both ornamental value and economic returns ( Morimoto et al, 2021 ). Therefore, exploring the mechanism of flower color formation in P. armeniacum demonstrates a certain representative significance and can be applied as a crucial part of comprehending the intricate network of yellow flower color synthesis in Paphiopedilum.…”