Lines of ornamental sunflower from the genetic collection of VIR

Ornamental sunflower is used for cutting and sale in flower shops, for landscaping of cities and towns, and very intensively by amateur gardeners. On the Rus-sian market there were mainly sunflower seeds and plants (in flower shops) produced in Holland or Poland. In the State Register there were 21 domestic varieties of ornamental sunflower, which is obviously not enough for our country. Phenotypic uniformity of 27 ornamental samples from the VIR collection of 62 samples was confirmed as a result of a three-year study. New lines, which do not split by the studied traits during three years, were revealed: VIR728 with lemon coloration of false ray flowers, VIR749 with simultaneous flowering of all heads on the plant and amber anthers, VIR905 with double yellow, VIR906 and VIR912 with double orange, VIR911 with lemon double inflorescences, VIR916 with anthocyanin coloration of the whole plant. The lines are branched and keep their ornamentality up to 30 days. Samples of ornamental sunflower have been identified which do not split by inflorescence color and at the same time are resistant to downy mildew and stem blight. These are lines VIR836, 721, 905, 906, 908, 909; varieties Krimson, Morozhenoye, sample k-1011 from England. The developed trait collection of or-namental sunflowers can be used in breeding.