Introduction to New Dual-Purpose (Medicinal and Tea) Honeysuckle Varieties 'Jincuilei', 'Yincuilei' and 'Baiyun'

The Hunan Academy of Forestry and the Longhui County Forestry Bureau jointly carried out the breeding of new honeysuckle varieties, and for the first time discovered in Lonicera macranthoides an excellent variant type of honeysuckle whose corolla never opens during the flowering period. After 8 years of breeding, two new bud-type varieties, 'Jincuilei' and 'Yincuilei', were developed with excellent flower quality, high yield, high chlorogenic acid content (the component in honeysuckle responsible for antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects), and strong resistance. At the same time, a new semi-open-flower-type variety 'Baiyun' with high yield and resistance to powdery mildew was bred. The notable characteristics of these varieties are: the flower tube surface is smooth and hairless, with an average of 27-31 flower tubes per pedicel, aggregated into umbel-like or cluster-like inflorescences. The corollas of 'Jincuilei' and 'Yincuilei' never open during the flowering period, and the flower buds are club-shaped; the flowering period lasts 15-25 days, which is particularly favorable for harvesting and processing, making them high-quality raw materials for making honeysuckle tea. They have strong high-yield performance: 3-5 years after planting, the yield of dried flowers is 170-400 kg per mu; the chlorogenic acid content is as high as 5.83%-6.97%, which is 2-3 times that of the authentic honeysuckle from Shandong and Henan; the economic benefit is remarkable, and the output value per mu can reach 5000-10000 yuan during the full production period; they are tolerant to drought and waterlogging, tolerant to cold and heat, tolerant to poor soil, have good disease resistance, and are easy to cultivate and manage. The specific characteristics of each variety are as follows:

'Jincuilei'. The corolla does not open and is hairless, 4.0 cm long, with the top of the flower bud suddenly and rather obviously enlarged; an average of 30 flowers aggregate into umbel-like or cluster-like inflorescences. The flower buds are club-shaped and unopened, and the corolla never opens; the flowering period is 15-25 days. The flower buds are uniform; the fresh weight of 1000 flower buds is 73.39 g, the dry weight of 1000 flower buds is 17.62 g, and the rate of dried flower output is 24.01%. The chlorogenic acid content of the dried flowers is 5.92%, which is 2.06 times the chlorogenic acid content of the excellent authentic honeysuckle variety 'Jinfeng No. 1'. According to on-site verification by experts, in the 3rd year after planting, the yield of fresh flowers per mu was 937.5 kg, equivalent to a dried flower yield of 225.1 kg, which is 130.9% higher than the yield of ordinary Lonicera macranthoides. In the 4th-5th years after planting, 250-350 kg of dried flowers can be produced per mu. It has strong adaptability and is tolerant to drought and waterlogging, tolerant to cold and heat, and tolerant to poor soil.

'Yincuilei'. The corolla does not open and is hairless, with an average length of 4.2 cm, and the top of the flower bud gradually enlarges; an average of 31 flowers aggregate into umbel-like or cluster-like inflorescences, the flower buds are club-shaped and unopened, and the corolla never opens; the flowering period lasts 15-25 days. The flower buds are uniform; the fresh weight of 1000 flower buds is 61.46 g, the dry weight of 1000 flower buds is 14.21 g, the rate of dried flower output is 23.12%, and the chlorogenic acid content of the dried flowers is 5.83%, which is 2.02 times the chlorogenic acid content of the excellent authentic honeysuckle variety 'Jinfeng No. 1'. According to on-site verification by experts, in the 3rd year after planting, the yield of fresh flowers per mu was 750.0 kg, equivalent to a dried flower yield of 173.4 kg, which is 77.9% higher than the yield of ordinary Lonicera macranthoides. In the 4th-5th years after planting, 200-300 kg of dried flowers can be produced per mu. It has strong adaptability and is tolerant to drought and waterlogging, tolerant to cold and heat, tolerant to poor soil, and has relatively strong disease resistance.

'Baiyun'. The corolla is semi-open and hairless, with an average length of 3.9 cm, and an average of 27 flowers aggregate into umbel-like or cluster-like inflorescences. The flower tube is semi-open, and the flowering period is 7-10 days; the fresh weight of 1000 flower buds is 58.92 g, the dry weight of 1000 flower buds is 14.62 g, the rate of dried flower output is 24.81%, and the chlorogenic acid content of the dried flowers is the highest, reaching 6.97%, which is 60.97% higher than that of ordinary Lonicera macranthoides and 2.42 times the chlorogenic acid content of the excellent authentic honeysuckle variety 'Jinfeng No. 1'. According to on-site verification by experts, in the 3rd year after planting, the yield of fresh flowers per mu was 1068.8 kg, equivalent to a dried flower yield of 265.2 kg. In the 4th-5th years after planting, 300-400 kg of dried flowers can be produced per mu. It has strong adaptability, is tolerant to drought and waterlogging, tolerant to cold and heat, and has relatively strong resistance to powdery mildew.