Crossbreeding of Phyllostachys species (Poaceae) and identification of their hybrids using ISSR markers.

Crossbreeding is an efficient means to increase production and quality in plants; however, hybridization is seldom reported in bamboo. We crossbred two bamboo species Phyllostachys kwangsiensis (female parent) and Phyllostachys bambusoides (male parent) for the first time, and obtained suspected bamboo hybrids. We identified two bamboo hybrids from the above parents using PCR/ISSR. We concluded that ISSR markers are useful to identify bamboo hybrids, and that breeding between bamboo species is possible and useful.