APPROACHES TO TRANSFER OF CHARACTERISTICS BETWEEN PLOIDY LEVELS IN NEW GUINEA IMPATIENS

Hybrids with 3 different ploidy levels produced by crosses among 8-, 16-, and 32-chromosome New Guinea Impatiens were tested for fertility. A usable amount of fertile pollen was found in several hybrids (2n=24) between parents of 16- and 32-chromosomes. The most receptive female for this pollen has been 'Tangeglow' (2n=24), which is presumed to be an amphidiploid produced by doubling a hybrid between the 8- and 16-chromosome levels. Backcrosses of the 2n=24 hybrids X 'Tangeglow' progeny to 'Tangeglow' have produced fertile offspring, a few of which have the characteristics needed for bedding plants, plus some flower color variation.