Morphological description of Carthamus tinctorius x C. oxyacantha hybrid

Fertile interspecific hybrids were produced between the cultivated safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) and wild species, C. oxyacantha Bieb. Location of branches on main axis, angle of branching, upper leaf shape and colour, length of spines on outer involucral bracts in hybrids were like of C. oxyacantha whereas seed color and size were in between both parents. Hybrids were uniform in germination, early in flowering and maturity as well were of non-shattering type like C. tinctorius. The lower leaf margin and size in hybrids were intermediate to both the parents and these traits helped to identify interspecific hybrids at seedling stage itself. Cultivated and wild species besides differing in morphology, differed in pollen shape. F1 resembled wild species with respect to pollen shape. The morphological descriptors of hybrids reported in the present paper would serve as useful tools to determine hybrid status of F1 as well guide to conserve or select wild species genome at a desirable level in interspecific derivatives during course of their advancement through self-pollination.