Phenotypic Diversity Analysis of the Progeny Variation of a 'Mosaic Leaf' Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum Based on Flower Organ Characteristics

Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum is a common landscape plant. Because of the preference for the 'red leaf' trait, the 'flower color' trait was ignored in breeding, and the genetic diversity of L. chinense var. rubrum was replaced by a few genotypes. Therefore, the potential value of flower color traits was affected, and the genetic diversity was not fully exploited. In this study, we utilized a cultivar with mosaic-colored flowers and leaves and observed 15 phenotypic traits in its flower organs and its progeny, as well as a total of 60 different flower color materials. We analyzed the variation characteristics and diversity of flower colors, and qualitatively described and preliminarily classified flower colors using the ISCC-NBS and CIELab systems to explore the correlation with the flower color phenotype from the distribution and content of anthocyanins. The phenotypic diversity of the flower organs was enriched, and genetic differences in flower color were significant for the L. chinense var. rubrum, with most of the 15 phenotypic traits showing significant positive correlations, and the most critical phenotypes are sepal, petal and nectary color, as well as petal length. According to the CIELab color system and anthocyanin content and distribution characteristics, it is considered more accurate and convenient to classify the color phenotypes of L. chinense var. rubrum flowers into five categories. In this study, for the first time, the flower organ phenotype of L. chinense var. rubrum has been systematically analyzed, and it is explored as a reference method for breeding new cultivars of a diverse range of colors in L. chinense var. rubrum.