Abstract:

This paper reviews the major progress that has been made in caladium breeding and genetic research in recent years. The genetic relationship and genetic diversity among caladium species and cultivars have been characterized at the molecular and cellular levels. Numerous new cultivars with improved foliar and plant characteristics，disease resistance，and sun tolerance have been developed and released，which has helped expand the use of caladium. Identification and cloning of some disease resistance genes and development of molecular markers have been reported. Caladium somaclonal variants have been investigated at the morphological，cellular，and molecular levels，and it has been shown that morphological changes in caladium somaclonal variants often result from chromosome number changes and allele loss. Techniques for genetic transformation and protoplast culture have been reported in caladium. The mode of inheritance for several important foliar characters has been uncovered，and genetic linkage maps for gene loci controlling these foliar characters have been developed. Future research directions and breeding objectives have been proposed to advance caladium breeding and genetic research.

Key words: Araceae, foliage plant, breeding, character improvement