Speckled Japanese Morning Glory

I have one line of speckled Japanese Morning Glories that I’m growing this year to hopefully introduce into my Princess project.  This line comes from Eiji Nitasaka of Kyushu University, Japan and is called Q0663.  The line is supposed to carry the maple willow gene to produce the dianthus type flower, but none of my grow outs to date have revealed this.  They have however shown that they carry the duplicate (dp) gene which creates a true double flower.  I was treated to two double flowers this morning!  A double double!  This speckled flower will look great on a Princess plant.

Q0663 - showing the duplicate flower

 

Here is the single flower form:

Q0663 - single flower

Maple Willow mutant – Japanese Morning Glory

This is the only pedigreed, Q0659, maple willow (m-w) mutant system of Japanese Morning Glory I have growing this year. Of the five seeds I planted, only three germinated…but two are plants of appreciation , meaning plants that show the characteristics of the mutant system. These plants are typically sterile, so the system must be maintained through the fertile plants that are heterozygous for the mutations.

This particular seedling has very photogenic cotyledons with great character. This photo was take on May 4th.

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Here is a picture taken this evening showng the growth character of this seedling.

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This particular system also has the delicate (dl) gene which makes the leaves very thin and wiry. Even at this stage, the plant has great photographic qualities! Now the anticipation builds as to whether the duplicate (dp) gene will be revealed with its full, double flowers.

Early detection of the Japanese Morning Glory gene – Blown

As my Japanese Morning Glory seedlings continue to grow, I’ve observed an interesting thing.  The difference in the development of the first leaves of mutant system parentwood plants (the ones that produce seed to perpetuate the system) is dramatic.  One mutant system labeled Q0402 has as its defining plant (or plant of appreciation), a plant with sterile white feathered flowers. Another feathered flower system is labeled Q0426 and it has blue flowers.  The primary genetic difference between the two systems, besides the color and structure of the flower,  is the presence of the Blown (B) gene in the Q0402 system. The dominant Blown gene modifies the growth pattern of the leaf.   The Japanese often refer to the characteristics of the Blown gene as “forest wind”.  I can only imagine that this is alluding to the effect a strong wind has on a leaf’s position and possibly a resulting quaking action…similar to the aspen leaf as it shows its lighter colored underside in the wind.

Here is a picture of the Q0402 seedling showing the first leaf in an upsidedown position. The underside of the leaf is actually facing up.  This leaf position is not as pronounced on the mature plant.

Q0402 seedling

 

This picture of the Q0426 seedling shows what we think of as a normal position of the developing leaf.  The top surface of the leaf is facing up.  The curled edge of the leaf is a characteristic of this system and has been carefully selected for by the Japanese.  This upward curled leaf is often referred to as “holding”, or one that can hold water.  This trait is very exagerated in the plant of appreciation which is sterile and has the feathered flowers.  The shape, position and configuration of the leaves on these plants was as important as the flowers to the early developers.

Q0426 seedling

Kikyou – The Star Japanese Morning Glory

Red Kikyou with white margin

The Kikyou Japanese Morning Glory is a classification of Asagao that has a star shaped flower. The entire plant is usually smaller statured, does not twine as well as normal JMGs and the leaves and flowers are a bit smaller but have more substance. These flowers will last longer than normal flowers and sometimes will stay open a second day if protected from hot sun. For this reason alone they are a highly desireable selection.

The unique shape of the flower is a result of the recessive gene star (s). Leaves on these plants are often a darker green and the rear rounded lobes are exagerated and often actually overlap. The Japanese often call this type of leaf an eddy leaf, referring to the whirlpool like swirling configuration caused by the overlapping lobes at the petiole attachment. Kikyou flowers often show very attractive petaloid development inside the flower causing a double look. These are more frequent on earlier flowers and it often causes sterility. Later single flowers are fertile and develop seed pods.

Purple Kikyou

The Japanese have actually classified this plant as a mutant, but put it in the group of mutants called “Masaki” which are mutants that are generally fertile and can be maintained as normal Japanese Morning Glories.