THE INHERITANCE OF PINNATIFID 

 LEAVES IN CAMELINA 



BY OLOF TEDIN 



SVALÖF, SWEDEN 



IN 1917 two forms of the genus Camelina, differing from each other 

 in ahnost every important character, were found growing in tlie 

 flax-cultures at Svalöf. Seed was collected from some plants of each 

 form and sown separately in 1918. The differences were then found 

 to be quite constant. In 1919 crosses were made between the two 

 original forms, as well as between each of these and a third form ob- 

 tained from the > Hortus Bergianus», Stockholm. These crosses have 

 now been followed to F^. The data presented below refer to an ana- 

 lysis of the factors determining the difference between pinnatifid and 

 entire leaves. 



One of the two original forms had pinnatifid leaves with a rather 

 narrow and short terminal lobe, few and long lateral loblets (fig. 1 a). 

 (When the results of some recently made crosses between other forms 

 of Camelina are at hand the systematics and nomenclature of this 

 genus will be dealt with. Therefore I do not here consider the spe- 

 cies to which the forms, used for crossing, belong). The other two 

 forms had both entire leaves scantily denticulated (fig. lb). There 

 are minute differences in the leaves of these two forms, which will be 

 investigated later on. As to the factors determining the pinnatifid leaf 

 shape I have not been able to find any difference between them. 



The leaf shape in Fi of the crosses between the pinnatifid and 

 the entire forms (fig. 1 c) may be shortly characterized as interme- 

 diate with prevalence for the pinnatifid form. In F. segregation 

 occurred as expected, but it proved almost impossible to classify the 

 Fa-plants. Even the percentage of the entire Fo-plants could not be 

 determined with certainty; several plants were found with the marginal 

 dentation a little more marked than that of the entire parent. Several 

 of the Fo-plants classified as entire have proved to be heterozygotes. 

 If the plants stand very close together the leaves become narrow and 

 the loblets and the dentation almost imperceptible. Thus a thick 

 sowing greatly increases the difficulties caused by the modificability 



