Research Progress on Floral Morphotype of Ornamental Plants

Ornamental plants encompass herbaceous to woody trees with rich interspecific diversity and morphological divergence; they are also horticultural crops of great ornamental, economic, and ecological importance. Floral morphotype constitutes a pivotal ornamental trait and a critical breeding indicator for novel cultivar improvement. Herein, we review floral morphotype formation from a multilevel regulatory perspective, focusing on the genetic and developmental networks, environmental signals, and biotic interactions that collectively shape floral diversity in ornamentals. We further summarize major technical approaches used in floral development research and highlight current knowledge gaps, particularly the limited understanding of interactions among regulatory layers. This review provides new insights into the mechanisms underlying floral diversification and offers a conceptual framework for targeted breeding of ornamental cultivars with novel floral morphology.