Jan. 5. 1924 
Seed-Color Inheritance in Sorghum Crosses 
59 
Seed of four selfed F 2 heads was sown in head rows in 1922 and the data 
shown in Table IV were secured. 
Table IV .—Description of F 2 seed heads of the cross Sunrise kafir X Blackhull kaoliang 
and distribution of the F z progenies of these heads into seed-color classes in 1922 
Description of Fa seed heads. 
Plants with seeds h 
Brown nucellar 
layer present. 
Seeds J Seeds 
brown, j white. 
1 
. 1 
aving— 
i 
Brown 
nucellar | 
layer | 
absent, 
seeds 
white. 
i 
Factorial 
1 compo- 
! sition. 
Selfed, brown, brown nucellar layer. 
124 
1 
43 
! 
51 
I 
BbSs 
D6. 
103 ; 
i 35 
46 
BbSs 
Selfed, white, brown nucellar layer. 
0 
64 
II 
Bbss 
Do. 
0 
148 
47 
Bbss 
The distribution of progeny from all four rows of F 2 material in 1921 and 
1922 differed considerably from the calculated 9:3:4 ratio, there being a 
surplus of brown-seeded plants with brown nucellar layer and a deficiency 
of white-seeded plants without brown nucellar layer. However, rows 
1 and 2 of the F 3 generation closely approach a perfect 9:3:4 distribu¬ 
tion, the actual distribution of 402 plants being 227:78:97, as compared 
with a calculated distribution of 226:75:101. 
From the data reported here on F 1? F 2 , and F 3 material of crosses between 
Sunrise kafir and feterita and between Sunrise kafir and Blackhull 
kaoliang, it appears that the seed color of feterita and Blackhull kaoliang 
is due to the presence of two color factors designated as BB and ss, while 
the seed color of Sunrise kafir is due to two color factors designated as 
bb and 55 . 
FETERITA X RED KAFIR 
In view of the unexpected occurrence of brown color in crosses having 
feterita or Blackhull kaoliang as a parent, some data on a cross between 
feterita and Red kafir are presented to further substantiate the hypothe¬ 
sis that feterita carries a factor which produces a brown color. 
A cross was made in 1920 between feterita and Red kafir, feterita being 
the pistillate parent. The kernels in the F x heads produced in 1921 ere 
brown, though the intensity of the brown varied, depending on the ex¬ 
tent of weathering. On that part of the seed covered by the glumes 
there was quite a tinge of red color. 
Seed from four selfed F x heads was sown in head rows in 1922. One 
head from each F 2 plant was harvested and taken to the laboratory, 
where color of seed was recorded. Many variations and tints of color 
were present in the F 2 material and it was necessary to make rather 
broad classes to obtain accuracy. The classes used were as follows: 
Brown seeds, with brown nucellar layer. 
White seeds, with brown nucellar layer. 
Red and pink seeds, with no brown nucellar layer. 
White seeds, with no brown nucellar layer. 
