Variation and heritability estimates of common carpetgrass

Carpetgrass (Axonopus fissifolius Raddi) is a warm-season perennial grass species that may warrant improvement for use as a turfgrass in the southeastern United States and lower latitudes. Limited information is available regarding the types and amounts of variation that exists for this species. Research objectives were to collect germplasm, to determine the variation for morphological and turfgrass performance characteristics, and to estimate heritability. Germplasm was derived from commercial seed and collection trips. Experiments were performed in both greenhouse and field conditions. The greenhouse study evaluated morphological traits, and the field study evaluated turfgrass performance characteristics. Differences in means were found to exist between genotypes for most traits. Heritability estimates were low to high, indicating the potential to alter stolon diameter, internode length, leaf length and width, spike number per inflorescence, inflorescence density, establishment, genetic color, density, and turf quality through conventional breeding. Differences in means and variances were found to exist between the two germplasm sources (seed-derived and collected) for some traits. For morphological traits, the seed-derived material exhibited greater variation than collected material. However, for turfgrass performance, traits of the collected genotypes were more variable than seed-derived plants.