OSAKA (Kyodo) Suntory Holdings Ltd. said its joint research team with two partners has developed the world's first chrysanthemum with blue petals.
The joint research was conducted by Suntory, the National Institute of Floricultural Science of the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, and Australian biotechnology company Florigene Pty., Suntory said.
According to Suntory, chrysanthemums come with petals in various colors such as white, yellow and red but lack the gene necessary to produce the blue pigment delphinidin.
The blue chrysanthemum was developed by incorporating blue pigment-producing genes from pansies, campanula and other plants. The petal color has a purplish hue, so the research team will work on making it more of a true blue.
Suntory said in 2004 it had developed the world's first blue rose.
