DIGENIC INHERITANCE OF MALE STERILITY IN PLANTAGO LANCEOLATA

Abstract

Gynodioecy is an outbreeding mechanism where both male-sterile (i.e. female) and hermaphrodite plants are found. Plantago lanceolata is gynodioecious, and ratios of 1:1, 3:1, 7:1 and 15:1 obtained in the descendants of a male-sterile plant indicate that there are two duplicate dominant genes for hermaphroditism, and that the double recessive, ms1ms1ms2ms2, is male sterile. Descendants of other male-sterile plants produced different results suggesting the presence of some additional factor affecting the inheritance of male sterility.