20 



o 



10 



MORPHOLOGY, GENETICS AND BREEDING 



S7 



Figure 16. — The seasonal distribution of flower production in a Virginia peanut. 

 (after Smith, 67.) 



Gregory's data (26) from artificially pollinated flowers, all flowers 

 not used being removed from the plants, showed a fertility coefficient of 

 nearly 2, twice as efficient as Bouffil's 1940 and 1941 values and 4 times 

 as efficient as his 1942 figure. Smith (67) reported that 63 percent of 

 the flowers studied produced pegs and one-third of the pegs developed 

 pods, but only 13.5 percent of the original flowers produced mature 

 fruits (figure 17). Expressed as flowers per fruit the fertility coefficient 

 was 7.5. 



Aerial Flower — Subterranean Fruit 



From the time that the peanut first became known to Europeans, its 

 flowering and fruiting habits attracted widespread attention. In spite of 

 perennial interest in this botanical curiosity, many misconceptions have 

 arisen concerning the structure of its flowers and their relation to nor- 

 mal fruiting. Even today one can hear the statement that the yellow 

 flowers of peanuts have nothing to do with the production of fruit and 

 that there exist peanuts capable of producing 2000 pounds of nuts per 



