
220 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [SEPTEMBER 
White seeds from three such ears were planted in isolated plots and 
used as male parents on the flowers of plants arising from while 
seeds found on selfed ears of 13 other families. A number of these 
families had the proper formulae to produce color, and about 
60,000 red or purple seeds were produced. There were all-purple 
ears and all-red ears in several families. Other combinations gave 
purple and white seeds or red and white seeds in the ratio of 1:1. 
How this came about is clear if one assumes either of the formulae 
given above for the male parent. Suppose the male parent had the 
formula ppRRcc: a family with the formula pprrCC gives all-red 
ears, while one with the formula pprrCc gives ears with red an 
white seeds in the 1:1 ratio; a family with the formula PPrrC 
gives all-purple ears, while one with the formula PprrCC or PPrrCe 
gives ears with purple and white seeds in the 1:1 ratio. 
Considering first only the all-purple and the all-red ears, oné 
must conclude that the fusion of the “endosperm nucleus” and the 
second male nucleus always occurs. If it did not occur, white seeds 
would result, because a factor from each parent is essential for the 
production of color. 
Among these 60,000 seeds, 6 were found that showed the hali- 
and-half condition; that is, color had developed on one side and 
not on the other. They were typical illustrations of the phenome- 
non which WeBBer’s two hypotheses were devised to explain. 
They occurred in only o.o1 per cent of the fertilizations, but m 
spite of their rarity they show that WrBBER’Ss first hypothes!s, 
assuming independent development of the male nucleus, is unten- 
able, since independent development of the paternal and the 
maternal nuclei could produce no color. No decision can be made 
between WEBBER’s second hypothesis—fusion of the male nucleus 
with one polar nucleus and independent development of the other— 
and the hypothesis of vegetative segregation after partial develop- 
ment. The bilateral symmetry of the halves of the seeds with an 
without color favors WEBBER’s idea; at the same time, it must be 
pointed out that the frequency of the occurrence is not too great 
to compare favorably with the frequency with which “bud sports 
originate. Though it would afford some satisfaction, @ precs® 
explanation of these rare aberrations is not a necessary requisite 



