Aug. 6, 1917 



Studies on Oat Breeding 



299 



reaching a biflorous condition at the base of the panicle and at the 

 base of the whorls. The normal biflorous, or rarely triflorous, condition 

 of the spikelet is completely correlated with the firmly hulled kernels. 

 There is a negative correlation between the tetraflorus or pentaflorous 

 condition of the spikelet and the firmly hulled kernels, as no multiflorous 

 spikelets contain firmly hulled kernels. This negative correlation was 

 also observed by Von Tschermak (9, p. 85; 10, p. 364) in his cross between 

 a common oat and the multiflorous A vena saliva var. chinensis. It 

 follows, then, that there is a correlation between the multiflorous charac- 

 ter of spikelets and the hull-lessness of the kernels. This correlation, 

 however, does not appear to be complete, as some cases were observed 

 in the second-generation plants where naked kernels are borne by 

 biflorous spikelets (PI. 42, A). 



TablS I. — Distribution of the different types of spikelets on the panicle in Fj oat plants 



Regarding the inheritance of the grain color, the F^ plants show 

 dominance of the black pigment, although the color of the grain is not 

 so intense as the black color of the Victor parent. In connection with 

 the distribution of the pigment it is of interest to note that in the case 

 of a hull-less grain the lower membranous flowering glume shows no 

 pigment whatever, being, as it is, in no connection with the grain. On 

 such grain the pigment is confined to the upper flowering glume. In 

 the same measure, however, as the lower flowering glume begins to 

 grow coarser and adheres along the line of the median vascular bundle, 

 the pigment appears along that line, spreading out from it over the 

 remainder of the hull body with decreasing intensity. 



The size of the kernel of the F^ plants is intermediate between the 

 two parents. 



