The Present State of Interspecific Hydralization of the Genus Larix

Species of the genus Larix P. Mill. easily hybridize with each other and the main barrier to the emergence of natural spontaneous hybrids is their geographic isolation. Interspecific hybridization and selection of the genus Larix, in comparison with the other representatives of coniferous species, is important and hence needs further investigation. The study reveales that due to the relatively young age of the genus and great propensity for hybridization to date among botanists is no consensus on the number of species in the genus Larix P. Mill. Heterosis in L. × marschlinsii is reported to have become the main cause of interest hybridization of botanists and foresters in Europe, Asia and North America. They have been studied in detail the ways the appearance and characteristics of many spontaneous natural larch hybrids. To achieve the objective of the study we have traced and analyzed the most recent literature on the issues studied and uses of our proven method of finding at global web directories taxonomic names of plants. This, in combination, allowed highlighting achievements of a number of researchers and interspecific hybridization to form a hybrid larch list. To conclude, the list of hybrids exceed the total number of existing species of larch, but is currently about 10 % of the total number of possible combinations of interspecies crossed. In the list of hybrids 6 species are represented, indicating incomplete representation of the different species in the hybridization process. As a result of interspecific hybridization we have obtained some valuable cultivars. We have also manifested heterosis in some combinations, which caused the intensification of growth and resistance to negative factors in the hybrid offspring. New useful features that appeared in natural and artificial hybrids larches show promise continued research in the field of hybridization of species of genus Larix P. Mill.