INHERITANCE OF CERTAIN CHARACTERS IN THE 

 COWPEA {VIGNA SINENSIS). II. 



By S. C. HARLAND, D.Sc. (Lond.). 

 Imperial Department of Agriculture for the West Indies. 



Introduction. 



In the first part of this study (1919), the present writer has recorded 

 the results of experiments on the inheritance in cowpeas of certain 

 factors affecting flower colour, and colour and pattern of the seed coat. 

 The present paper forms a further contribution towards our knowledge 

 of the genetics of the cowpea. 



During the progress of the work an insect pest, probably the cowpea 

 weevil {Chalcodermus annuus), hitherto unrecorded in St Vincent, 

 made its appearance. The ravages of this pest were so great that most 

 of the seed from several of the F^ and F2 cultures was destroyed. For 

 this reason the number of plants in some of the F^ cultures is dis- 

 appointingly small. 



The experiments described below concern themselves with the 

 following characters : 



1. Anthocyanin in stem and leaf stalk. 



2. Colour of seed coat pattern. 



3. Pod colour. 



• 4. Flower colour. 



The Experimental Results. 



1. Anthocyanin in stem and leaf stalk. 



In many varieties of cowpea, the region near the junction of the 

 main stem and petioles is dark red in colour, owing to the presence of 

 anthocyanin pigment in the epidermal cells. The same pigment is also 

 found at the junction of the pinnae with the leaf stalk. In other 



