The inheritance of wood and bark characters in Eucalyptus

Abstract

Hybrids from segregating hybrid swarms have been examined in relation to the parents. Two series of hybrids were chosen, one derived from the combination E. robertsoni x E. rossii, of the group Renantherae, and the other from E. elaeophora x E. maculosa of the group Macrantherae-Normales. The hybrids and parents were assessed according to various physical and mechanical properties of the wood, features of bark structure, field characters, and measurements of characters in the progeny raised from each.

The properties of the hybrids were found to be either not significantly different from those of either parent or intermediate between those of the two parents. The degree to which they approached either parent in the various phenotypic characters examined was found, in the few cases where data were adequate, to be correlated closely with the genotype and likewise with its position in the range between the two parents. The graded sequence of variation in the characters of the different individuals in the hybrid combinations suggests those characters examined are, in general, under multiple factor control.

It is likely that most Eucalyptus hybrids are intermediate as a, rule in their characters between the parents, and this applies to wood and bark characters as well as general morphological features.