New perspective for evaluating the main Camellia oleifera cultivars in China

Abstract

To assess the adaptability of Camellia oleifera for introduction in new growth locations, this study evaluated 10 representative C. oleifera cultivars from the main areas in China where this oil-producing evergreen crop is grown. Cluster analysis, correlation analysis, and membership function analysis were used to evaluate various indices of the selected C. oleifera cultivars, including flowering phenology, cold tolerance, leaf structure, pollen characteristics, and pollen viability. The correlation analysis identified the full blossoming time, leaf palisade and spongy tissue thickness, pollen deformity rate, and pollen activity as key indices for determining the adaptability of the cultivars to new areas. The membership function analysis of the 10 C. oleifera cultivars revealed the following order of adaptability: ‘XLC25’ > ‘Changlin4hao’ > ‘Ganzhouyou8hao’ > ‘Ganzhouyou6hao’ > ‘Tiechengyihao’ > ‘Eyou465’ > ‘XLC10’ > ‘Changlin3hao’ > ‘Changlin18hao’ > ‘QY235.’ When introducing C. oleifera cultivars to new regions, the higher-ranked cultivars are more likely to be successful. The results of this study may provide a new direction for the comprehensive assessment of plant introduction and domestication potential, i.e., the assessment of the vegetative and reproductive growth, adversity resistance, and blossoming time of plants.

Anatomical Characteristics of Petalized Anther Abortion in Male Sterile Camellia oleifera Plants

“…According to our results, the 'Huashuo' fertile plant had an in vitro germination rate of 51.14%, whereas the TTC-based result was 85.54%. These results are close to those reported in the literature (Deng et al, 2020;Wang et al, 2012;Zhao et al, 2021). In the sterile C. oleifera plants, the pollen vitality obtained by the TTC method was inconsistent with that obtained by the in vitro germination method, and a combination of these two methods can better explain the obtained pollen vitality.…”

“…In the sterile C. oleifera plants, the pollen vitality obtained by the TTC method was inconsistent with that obtained by the in vitro germination method, and a combination of these two methods can better explain the obtained pollen vitality. The pollen germination rate of the fertile 'Huashuo' plants was 51.14%, which was similar to the results of most studies on the germination rate of ordinary C. oleifera (Deng et al, 2020;Zhao et al, 2021). The fully petalized anthers of male sterile plants did not produce pollen.…”

“…The development of C. oleifera microspores is accompanied by the transfer of Ca 21 between anther wall cells and microspores, which is closely related to the formation of C. oleifera microspore vacuoles; the distribution and transfer of Ca 21 in the anthers of male sterile plants in this study remain to be further investigated (Wei et al, 2015). In fertile C. oleifera plants, the pollens appear full, the ornamentation of the outer walls is ripple-like, and the net holes are irregular; pollen vitality is not significantly correlated with pollen structure (Deng et al, 2020). However, the cell inclusions are missing in the pollen grains of sterile plants, causing the pollen grains to depress inward from the germinal furrows.…”

“…However, the procedures of different determination approaches can vary greatly according to the principles they are based on. To make a comparison between our results and those in literature (Deng et al, 2020;Wang et al, 2012;Zhao et al, 2021), we used the TTC and in vitro germination methods to determine the pollen vitality of the sterile plant and fertile plant. The combining results based on these methods can be more persuasive, considering that the results based on them are often inconsistent with each other.…”

A comparative study on the leaf anatomical structure of Camellia oleifera in a low-hot valley area in Guizhou Province, China

“…The fixed material was dehydrated in ethanol, made transparent in xylene, embedded in paraffin, and then sliced using a microtome (Leica RM 2235, Germany) with a section thickness of 8 μm. Safranine O-fast green staining was performed [ 30 ] after the specimen was dried. Then, it was sealed using neutral resin and photographed with an optical microscope (Leica DM 3000, Germany).…”