162 ANTHOCYANINS AND GENETICS 



has yellow flowers and fruits, and a green stem. F x was found to have 

 the fruits of the type, but the intensity of colour in flowers and stems 

 was sometimes diminished. Further results clearly indicated that 

 there was normal Mendelian segregation in F 2 . 



Beta. Kajanus (559, 580) has experimented with a large number 

 of varieties. As far as anthocyanin pigmentation in the root is con- 

 cerned three classes can be differentiated: 



(a) Red ) 



;,' > With anthocyanin. 



(b) Rose j 



(r) White, yellow Without anthocyanin. 



The results from crossing are at present rather obscure. Red was 

 obtained in F x from crossing : 



Red x red, rose, white and yellow. 

 Rose x yellow. 

 White x white and yellow. 

 Rose was obtained in F x from crossing: 



Rose x rose. 

 White x yellow. 



In F 2 red gave red, rose, white and yellow, and also every selection 

 and combination of these varieties except red only. 



Rose, on the other hand, gave red, rose, white and yellow, and again 

 every combination and selection except red only, and red, white and 

 yellow. 



/ 



White gave: 



Red, rose, white and yellow. 

 Red, rose and white. 

 Rose and white. 



Kajanus suggests a number of factors, but in the absence of further 

 data, very little light is thrown on the results. 



Kajanus notes that the pigment is not always confined to the skin 

 of the root. In the salad beet, the flesh is completely violet-red; in 

 the common red beet it is red, reddish or colourless; in the rose and 

 in the white it is colourless. 



The leaves on the whole are green, but in red beets they are sometimes 

 red. Quite red leaves only occur in the case of red-fleshed beets. In 

 red-fleshed beets there are also varieties in which the petioles and larger 

 veins only are red, the leaf tissue being green. The results of crossing 

 red- by green-leaved varieties seems to show that in some cases the 

 srreen colour is due to inhibition of red, in other cases, not. 



