Inheritance of a Variegated Leaf Pattern in Hexaploid Wheat1

Abstract

Eight mutant wheat seedlings exhibiting a distinct leaf pattern were observed in an F3 progeny involving a powdery mildew‐resistant line crossed with one which was susceptible. Other F3 plants and all I1, F2, and parent plants were normal green.Test crosses were made among specific progenies from seven of the original plants and observations made on chlorophyll mutant characteristics. When normal green plants were self‐pollinated or used as female parents with variegated plants, only normal green progeny were produced. Variegated or albino plants (or both) appeared in the progeny only if variegated plants were selfpollinated or used as female parents in a cross. The variegated leaf pattern was maternally inherited.Variegation could be the result of a sorting out process involving two distinct kinds of plastids (yellow or green), as had been proposed in a similar instance by Pao and Li (6). White and green regions on the variegated leaves were clearly defined; no areas of intermediate tissue were observed. Sorting out of the plastids resulted in some leaves being entirely green, some all white, and some variegated. True‐breeding variegated lines could not be established.