FIELD ESTABLISHMENT OF SEED, CUTTINGS AND TISSUE CULTURE PROPAGATED FLANNEL FLOWERS (ACTINOTUS HELIANTHI, APIACEAE)

The Flannel flower is an Australian native plant species that is being developed as a crop for cut-flower production. Field establishment was achieved using plants propagated by seed, cutting and tissue culture. Only minor yield increases of saleable stems (flowering stems longer than 40 cm) were achieved using tissue culture-derived plants. Cutting-grown plants were the lowest yielding. It is suggested that seed may be the best form of propagation once uniform low dormancy seed lines have been developed.