

J01M£ OF AGRICiriAL RESEARCH 



Vol. XXII Washington, D. C, October i, 1921 No. i 



OCCURRENCE OF QUERCETIN IN EMERSON'S BROWN- 

 HUSKED TYPE OF MAIZE 



By Charles E. Sando, Junior Chemist, Office 0/ Physiological and Fermantation Investi- 

 gations, Bureau of Plant Industry, United States Department of Agriculture, and H. H. 

 BartlETT, Department of Botany, University of Michigan, Collaborator, Office of 

 Physiological and Fermentation Investigations, Bureau of Plant Industry, United 

 States Department of Agriculture ' 



In connection witli the genetical studies of pigmentation in maize 

 which have been carried on for several years at Cornell University by 

 Prof. R. A. Emerson and his students, a plan was made for the writers 

 to collaborate in parallel biochemical studies in the isolation and identifi- 

 cation of the pigments from material of known genetical constitution, 

 the latter to be furnished as a by-product of the Cornell experiments. 



As a beginning in the work it seemed desirable to undertake a study 

 of the character pair purple versus brown. These are two of the general 

 plant colors recognized in the Cornell experiments, the series running as 

 follows: I, purple; II, sun-red; III, dilute purple; IV, dilute sun-red; 

 V, brown; and VI, green. Full details of the genetic relations of these 

 types are being published by Enierson,^ to whose memoir the reader 

 should refer for full details. Here it may suffice to say that purple is a 

 color type which is uncommon in cultivation and infrequent in experi- 

 mental cultm-es. It is distinguished from other types by the fact that 

 some purple color is developed even in seedlings grown in the dark. At 

 maturity nearly all parts are more or less purple, including the culm, the 

 brace roots, all leaf sheaths, the husks, even the inner ones, the cob, and 

 the staminate inflorescence. In intensity of coloration purple stands at 

 the head of the series of color types. Material of this type was furnished 

 by Prof. Emerson to Dr. John W. Calvin, of the University of Nebraska, 

 before we took over the general problem, and we have therefore confined 

 our attention for the present to the brown type, awaiting a report on his 

 study of the purple type from Dr. Calvin. 



• In connection with our work with maize we have received numerous favors from Prof. R. A. Emerson 

 and Dr. E. G. Anderson, to whom we tender our best thanks. 

 ^ ' Emerson, R. A. the genetic relations of generai, plant colors in maize. N. Y. Cornell Agr. 

 . ^ Exp. Sta. Mem. 39, 156, p., n col. pi. 1921. 



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■* "Journal of Agricultural Research, Vol. XXII, No. i 



j^ Washington, D. C. Oct. i, 1921 



^^ zl. Key No. G-244 



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