AOBPreview originally published online on July 30, 2004
Annals of Botany 2004 94(3):469-471; doi:10.1093/aob/mch161
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Annals of Botany 94/3, © Annals of Botany Company 2004; all rights reserved
Morphological Features and Inheritance of Foliaceous Stipules of Primary Leaves in Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata)
Nuclear Agriculture and Biotechnology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400 085, India
* For correspondence. E-mail rnpandey{at}apsara.barc.ernet.in
Received: 8 March 2004 Returned for revision: 13 May 2004 Accepted: 26 May 2004 Published electronically: 30 July 2004
Background and Aims The presence of connate foliaceous stipules of primary leaves and their inheritance in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) genotype EC394736 is reported for the first time.
Methods The development of foliaceous stipules (FS) and their persistence were examined throughout the growth and developmental stages of the plants of the genotype EC394736. The shape, size, colour, texture and other parameters were examined in the field during the period 1550 d after sowing. The area of FS was measured using image analysis software. The inheritance of FS was studied by making a cross between the genotype EC394763 with rudimentary stipules (RS) and the genotype EC394736, which has connate foliaceous stipules of primary leaves. The presence or absence of FS in plants of the F1, F2 and F3 generations was recorded.
Key Results The stipules developed along with the primary leaves in the genotype EC394736. One stipule of each primary leaf fused with the adjacent stipule of the other primary leaf forming a foliaceous structure. These stipules persisted on the plants for >50 d, even after the primary leaves had withered off. The F1 plants showed an absence of FS indicating the rudimentary stipules to be dominant over foliaceous stipules. The F2 segregation into 15 (RS) : 1 (FS) indicated that duplicate recessive genes controlled the presence of the FS. This was confirmed from the segregation pattern in the F3 generation.
Conclusions The presence of FS is a unique feature in cowpea genotype EC394736 and duplicate recessive genes govern it. The FS can be used as a morphological marker for identification of cowpea varieties.
Key words: Cowpea, duplicate recessive genes, foliaceous stipules, inheritance, morphological marker, Vigna unguiculata