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We have already reported [1] that generative propagation of Bucephalandra is an extremely effective approach to the mass reproduction and improvement of these plants. Now it is time to talk about selection.

According to “The Überlist of Araceae” [2], the species diversity of Bucephalandra is estimated at 50 species, the descriptions of 30 species have already been published [3,4]. With such a large number of natural species, the creation of new varieties with different colors and leaf shapes does not make much sense. It is a completely different case to create hybrids for specific purposes, for example, for keeping plants in a fish tank (underwater). Fishkeeping is a popular hobby among people in many countries around the world, and plants that can live under water for a long time are becoming extremely much in demand. This is especially true for plants of the Araceae family, since most of their natural species are not able to grow under water. In particular, this problem was previously successfully solved for Anubias. Only one of eight Anubias species (Anubias barteri) is able to live indefinitely long under water. Interspecific crossing of the latter with the other species made it possible to obtain a wide range of underwater Anubias with various decorative qualities [5].

Figure 1. The cultivated specimen of Bucephalandra kishii. Photo: S. Bodyagin.

Unlike Anubias, the situation with Bucephalandra is not so tragic - only a few are not able to live in an aquarium. However, one of the most beautiful Bucephalandra species, Bucephalandra kishii, tends to prefer living on land (Figure 1). A distinctive feature of this plant is the noticeably raised primary lateral veins, which, in combination with the dark color of the leaf, give it special decorative qualities. In this article, we will talk about our experience in creating artificial hybrids based on Bucephalandra kishii.

Before starting with the description of specific experiments, we should focus on another problem with Bucephalandra - the huge number of commercial names (more than 200) under which these plants were included in our collections. Considering the fact that not all natural species have scientific descriptions, it is not always possible to correlate them with commercial names. Therefore, when describing crosses, for some parent forms we will give either only the commercial name, or both commercial and scientific names.

Despite the fact that Bucephalandra kishii has a very small natural habitat, limited to the region of Gunung Saran in West Kalimantan, in our collection there were two plants that matched this species in inflorescence and had a typical conical shape of the upper part of the spadix, but were noticeably different in the shape of the leaves (Figure 2). We purchased one of them under the scientific name B. kishii, it had wide, rounded leaves with a slight wave along the margin, and the second one came under the commercial name B. sp. “Dark Achilles” with more elongated leaves and smooth margins. Moreover, both specimens had characteristic exerted primary lateral veins. We used both plants for crossings.

Figure 2. Specimens of Bucephalandra kishii, which were used as starting materials for the artificial crossing: specimen 1 (purchased as B. kishii) – on the left, and specimen 2 (purchased as B. sp. “Dark Achilles”) – on the right. Photo: S. Bodyagin.

Trial attempts to obtain seeds from vegetative shoots of B. kishii (specimen 1) within one variety were not successful. The fruits were weak and contained no more than 10-15 seeds, which were low viable. At the same time, pollination by B. sp. “Dark Achilles” (specimen 2) with pollen from B. kishii (specimen 1) resulted in full fruit, and the seedlings were notable for a slight wave along the leaf margin like one of the parent plants (Figure 3).

Figure 3. A seedling (1.5 years old) of a hybrid B. sp. “Dark Achilles” x B. kishii. Photo: S. Bodyagin.

Next, we made some interspecific crossings of B. kishii with other Bucephalandra species. The undescribed Bucephalandra from Pygmaea Complex with the commercial name B. sp. "Theia 9" gave us the most interesting results. When this plant took part in our crossings, we were able to get fruits using B. kishii both as the father and mother plants (Figure 4). Notably, in other successful crosses, we took only pollen from B. kishii. It is interesting to note that the shape and size of the leaves are transmitted mainly through the male line, i.e. hybrids of B. sp. “Theia 9” x B. kishii are more similar in appearance to B. kishii, and the hybrid B. kishii x B. sp. “Theia 9” – to B. sp. "Theia 9". Moreover, both types of hybrids have exerted primary lateral veins that are rather characteristic for B. kishii. It indicates the dominancy of this feature. Thus, if the goal is to get a plant similar to B. kishii, but at the same time growing well under water, you should use for crossing B. kishii as a male plant. It is also important to note that backcrossing hybrids of B. sp. “Theia 9” x B. kishii with B. kishii or B. sp. “Dark Achilles” form hybrids, which have only broad, rounded leaves and most closely resemble with the original B. kishii (Figure 5).

Figure 4. Interspecies crossing between B. sp. “Theia 9” (the Pygmaea Complex) and B. kishii.

Figure 5. Hybrids obtained by backcrossing of hybrids B. sp. “Theia 9” x B. kishii with B. kishii (on the left) or B. sp. “Dark Achilles” (on the right).

A more extensive analysis of crosses showed that the dominancy of a broadened leaf shape in heterozygous hybrids of B. kishii is not always observed, but is rather present when crossed with Bucephalandra plants belonging to the Pygmaea Complex. For example, a hybrid based on plant with the commercial name B. sp. “Silver Powder” (probably another undescribed species from the Pygmaea Complex) also has broad, rounded leaf blades similar in shape to the parent B. kishii (Figure 6). At the same time, hybrids based on B. bogneri (commercial name is B. sp. “Padawan”) show a splitting in the offspring: the leaf shape of some specimens is close to one or other parent species (Figure 7). Crosses with B. akantha (commercial name is B. sp. “Pearl Grey”) or B. spathulifolia (commercial name is B. sp. “Velvet Leaf 3”) produce hybrids with an intermediate leaf shape (Figure 8 and 9).

Figure 6. Interspecies crossing between B. sp. “Silver Powder” (the Pygmaea Complex) and B. kishii.

Figure 7. Interspecies crossing between B. sp. “Padawan” (B. bogneri) and B. kishii.

Figure 8. Interspecies crossing between B. sp. “Pearl Grey” (B. akantha) and B. kishii.

Figure 9. Interspecies crossing between B. sp. “Velvet Leaf 3” (B. spathulifolia) and B. kishii.

Thus, using B. kishii as one of the parent plants when crossing with other Bucephalandra species, it is possible to obtain heterozygous hybrids that have both, a similar phenotype to B. kishii and a very different leaf shape and size (Figure 10). Another important advantage of the first generation hybrids is their increased viability, which we demonstrated using the example of the hybrid B. sp. “Theia 9” x B. kishii for aquarium purposes (Figure 11).

Figure 10. Seedlings of various hybrids of B. kishii. Photo: S. Bodyagin.

Figure 11. Hybrid of B. sp. “Theia 9” x B. kishii in an aquarium after 4 years of keeping. Photo: E. Fursenko.

References:

1. Bodyagin, S. & Loginov, D. (2016). The Specifics of Artificial Generative Propagation of Bucephalandra Schott. Newslett. Int. Aroid Soc. 38(1): 1–5.

2. Boyce, P. C. & Croat, T. B. (2011 onwards).The Überlist of Araceae, Totals for Published and Estimated Number of Species in Aroid Genera. http://www.aroid.org/genera/20201008Uberlist.pd

3. Wong, S. Y. & Boyce, P. C. (2014). Studies on Schismatoglottideae (Araceae) of Borneo XXX – New species and combinations for Bucephalandra. Willdenowia 44: 149–199.

4. Wong, S. Y. & Boyce, P. C. (2014). Studies on Schismatoglottideae (Araceae) of Borneo XXXXI: Additional new species of Bucephalandra. Willdenowia 44: 415–421.

5. Bodyagin, S. & Loginov, D. (2011) Anubias durch Samen vermehren. Aqua Pl. (3): 96–103.

Bodyagin, S. & Loginov, D. Good News for Aquarists: Artificial Hybrids of Bucephalandra kishii. Newslett. Int. Aroid Soc., 46(1)/2024, pp. 1–7.