THE GENETIC MECHANISM OF SEX DETERMINATION IN THE ANDRODIOECIOUS FLOWERING PLANT, DATISCA-GLOMERATA (DATISCACEAE)

A series of experimental crosses was conducted to determine the geneti c basis of sex determination in the androdioecious plant species, Dati sca glomerata (Datiscaceae). Sex determination in D. glomerata appears to be controlled by at least two loci. Males are homozygous recessive at both loci, whereas hermaphrodites have at least one dominant allel e at either locus. However, the problem of sex determination has not b een entirely resolved, as there appear to be two different linkage dis tances between the two sex determining loci (36 +/- 4.5 cM and 6.7 +/- 1.5 cM). This was unexpected, and further studies will be conducted t o determine the nature of this anomaly. This is the first report of th e genetics of sex determination in an androdioecious plant.