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Abstract
Several Salvia species are desirable for breeding because of their ornamental value and ability to attract pollinators to the landscape. This research was conducted to further describe the diversity in the genus and aid future breeding efforts by determining the genomic content of multiple Salvia species through flow cytometric analysis. This research also improved the species S. coccinea through intraspecific hybridization. After four generations of breeding, progeny were selected with larger flowers and a more vivid color than the parental selections. Mutation breeding was also used to improve S. coccinea by treating seeds with ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS). Improved selections included a variety of chlorophyll mutations and changes to leaf morphology. Finally, this research identified a method to improve S. uliginosa through treating vegetative cuttings with gamma radiation. Leaf variation was induced in S. uliginosa, and a protocol was established to clonally propagate plant material after treatment with gamma radiation.