Genetic Variability in Gladiolus for Growth and Flowering Characters (Gladiolus hybridus Hort.)

Gladiolus Sylvia x Melody exhibited early corm-sprouting (6.82 days). The hybrid Melody x Summer Sunshine (84.63 cm), followed by American Beauty x Pricella (84.12 cm) were tall. Maximum stem girth was observed in American Beauty x Summer Sunshine (35.31 mm), followed by Vedanapoli x Magic (33.71mm) and American Beauty x Melody (33.47 mm). Number of leaves per plant was higher in Melody x Magic (9.62), followed by Salvia x Magic (9.49) and Melody x Vedanapoli (9.42). The length was maximum (67.32 cm) in Melody x Summer Sunshine followed by Summer Sunshine x Pricella (67.57 cm), American Beauty x Vedanapoli (67.00 cm) and Vedanapoli x Pricella (66.06 cm). The hybrid Salvia x Melody was earliest to initiate flower bud (60.58 days) and first floret opening (69.04 days). The total duration of flowering was maximum in Vedanapoli x Magic.