The Inheritance of a Somatic Variation in Maize 27 
The male gametes from white races were all — . The F x 
plants were therefore 8 — , V — , and , only those with 
S — having red ears. The five red-eared F 1 plants that 
were tested produced in F 2 red-eared and white-eared 
plants in Mendelian ratios. Of the F 2 red-eared plants 
one bred true in F 3 and three again segregated into reds 
and whites. 
When heterozygous, variegated, parent ears were self- 
pollinated, the F 1 red-eared plants behaved in some cases 
like hybrids of red with variegated races and in other 
cases like hybrids of red with white races (see page 18). 
Our assumption is that the variegated-eared parent plants 
were V — and their red grains S — . The gametes asso- 
ciated with these red grains were of course S and — . The 
male gametes of the same plants were doubtless largely 
V and — , though a few were probably S. The Fj_ plants 
must therefore have been , V — , S — , SV or SS. Eeds 
with SS would be expected only rarely, and of the 11 F x 
reds tested none had that formula, else they would have 
bred true in F 2 . Seven of the 11 F 1 reds evidently were 
S — , for they yielded F 2 progenies consisting of reds and 
whites only. Four of the 11 were obviously SV, for they 
yielded F 2 's of reds and variegates only. Of the latter 
F 2 reds, one bred true in F 3 and four again segregated 
into reds and variegates. 
From a self-red seed of a homozygous, variegated ear 
that had been cross-pollinated by a pure red race, an F x 
red-eared plant was produced and this plant bred true red 
in F 2 . From a nearly self-red seed of the same varie- 
gated, parent ear, an ~F ± red was produced but yielded 
reds and variegates in F 2 just as did a similar F 1 ear 
from a seed with narrow red stripes (see page 19). The 
variegated parent ear was VV and the red and near-red 
grains probably VS. The gametes associated with these 
grains were V and S. The male gametes were all S. 
Therefore the F 2 reds were in part VS and in part SS. 
