Hybridization of Carduus nutans and Carduus acanthoides (Compositae): morphological variation in F1 hybrids and backcrosses

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare patterns of morphological variation in F1 hybrids and backcrosses obtained artifically in the greenhouse relative to the parental species Carduus acanthoides (2n = 22) and Carduus nutans (2n = 16), which form a naturally occurring hybrid complex in Grey County, Ontario. The identity of parental, hybrid, and backcross genotypes was confirmed using allozyme markers. The data were used to test for hybrid (H) intermediacy in morphological traits that differentiate the two parental taxa (acronyms A and N are used for C. acanthoides and C. nutans, respectively) and to determine patterns of variation on the same traits among the four classes of backcross plants (NH, HN, AH, and HA, seed × pollen parent, respectively). Canonical multivariate analysis indicated that in general, F1 hybrids had intermediate morphologies compared with parental genotypes, although differences were observed among characters with respect to the degree of morphological intermediacy of hybrids. The backcrosses were divided into two groups, i.e., those backcrossed with C. acanthoides (AH and HA) and those with C. nutans (NH and HN). However, backcrosses also showed considerable morphological overlap with F1 hybrids. These results exemplify the utility of joint comparisons of morphology and genotypic constitution (allozymes) in the hybridization studies, and they emphasize the limitations in describing hybrid classes solely by morphological criteria. Key words: Carduus nutans, Carduus acanthoides, hybrids, backcrosses, morphological variation.