Inheritance of Leaf Traits and Mechanisms of Velvety Leaf Texture and Vein Coloration in Alocasia

Alocasia species and cultivars are widely cultivated as ornamental foliage plants, prized for their diverse leaf traits; however, scientific reports on the inheritance of these traits are limited. This study investigates the inheritance of key leaf characteristics, including lobing, margin notching, surface unevenness, velvety texture, vein coloration, and anthocyanin presence. The results reveal that leaf base lobing and margin notching exhibit incomplete dominance. The convex trait adjacent to the leaf vein is dominant over the flat leaf surface. The velvety leaf texture in A. micholitziana ‘Green Velvet’ is dominant, with progeny inheriting the trait when crossed with nonvelvety species. Anatomical observations reveal that the velvety texture is associated with unique papillate epidermal cells. Anthocyanin presence in A. azlanii and other cultivars is dominant over its absence. Air-space-type white veins in A. sanderiana ‘Nobilis’ and its hybrids are dominant over green veins, whereas chlorophyll-deficient white veins in A. micholitziana ‘Green Velvet’ and its progeny are recessive to green veins. These findings provide valuable insights for future breeding efforts targeting leaf shape, texture, pigmentation, and variegations in Alocasia .