HERITABLE CHARACTERS OF 



MAIZE 



XI. FINE-STREAKED LEAVES' 



E. G. Anderson 



FINE-STREAKED MAIZE LEAVES 



These leaves are characterized by a few fine white streaks as shown on the left, although occa- 

 sional plants are found in which the streaks are more frequent and more prominent. Apparently 

 the inheritance of this character is closely linked with the factor for the inheritance of white 

 endosperm as no streaked plants were produced from yellow seeds. (Fig. 21.) 



IN A NUMBER of cultures of maize 

 grown in 1917, plants were found 

 with finely streaked leaves. 

 Records showed these cultures to be 

 closely related. A few fine-streak 

 plants were selfed and found to breed 

 true. Outcrosses with unrelated nor- 

 mal green plants gave only normal 

 green Fi plants. Fine-streaked segre- 

 gates were obtained in Fo, though usu- 

 ally less than 25 percent. These varied 



from prominently streaked to very 

 faintly streaked or almost pure green 

 plants. Backcrosses with fine-streak 

 have likewise given less than 50 percent 

 fine-streaks. 



Fine-streak was first observed in 

 cultures free from yellow endosperm. 

 Crosses made involving yellow endo- 

 sperm were backcrossed to the double 

 recessive (white endosperm fine-streak). 

 The yellow seeds when planted gave 



1 Paper No. 100, Department of Plant Breeding, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. 



91 



