Variegation in Four O’clock Plant
In Mirabilis jalapa (four o’clock plant), the leaves on certain branches of a plant may be fully green; other branches have patchy leaves in which green tissue is interspersed with pale- green to white tissue in a variegated pattern; and other branches bear fully pale leaves.
Microscopic examination of the green leaves and the green areas of the variegated leaves reveals that the cells contain normal chloroplastids and chlorophyll pigment, whereas the pale- leaves and pale patches lack normal chloroplastids and pigment. When the inheritance of these pigment traits is examined, it is found that the phenotype of the progeny will depend upon phenotype of the female parent (Figs. 10.2, 10.3).
Ovules derived from fully green portions of the plant, regardless of the source of pollen, will result only fully green plants and variegated character will not reappear in the subsequent generations.
When ovules are derived from variegated branches, three types of seeds are produced in variable numbers, again regardless of the male parent; some give rise to (sure green, some to pure white, and the majority to variegated offspring’s. Ovules derived from pale branches, will result only pale plants.
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