CHARACTERIZATION AND INHERITANCE OF VARIEGATED-LEAF MUTANT IN PETUNIA-HYBRIDA

An F-1 hybrid plant of Petunia hybrida 'Violet' X 'White' produced a s pontaneously mutated branch with leaves displaying white or yellow var iegation on the margin. Morphological observation showed that the muta nt had abnormal plastids which caused the white or yellow leaf color. The polypeptide pattern of the thylakoid protein in the variegated are a differed from that in normal leaf and green area of the mutant. The data relating to selfing and backcrossing of the mutant with normal 'V iolet' and 'White' showed that the abnormal plastids were almost total ly maternally inherited, that is, the progenies from crosses with the mutant as female parent were almost all albino. However, variegated pr ogenies were also occasionally observed when the mutant was used as th e female parent. The results of this study suggest that normal chlorop lasts were transmitted exceptionally from paternal parent or from gree n plastids occasionally kept in the generative cells of the maternal p arent.