The phenotype of clf located on 1S, is a colorless (blocks anthocyanin and carotenoid pigments) floury kernel with a lethal embryo. Lethality may be forestalled when immature embryos (12-16 days) are excised before lethality and placed on a standard culture medium. If cultured this way they often produce roots, but no differentiation or growth of leaf tissue. In the experiments described in the News Letter item above, p + lp elf, RR ears were pollinated by P-VV +, Ds-2 R-sc pollen and the ears were examined for colorless floury mosaics, which would indicate transposition of Ds to a position between clf and the centromere. Several good cases were found and planted. They produced green seedlings with tiny sectors of almost white tissue indicating a failure of chlorophyll. Some of these sectors were several cells wide and several cm long. In these large sectors the tissue was distorted in growth, being raised on the top surface and indented on the underneath surface of the leaf. The larger sectors also showed some necrosis, the innermost cells apparently dying.

M.G. Neuffer
 
 

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