Inheritance of Spotted Aleurone Color in Hybrids of Chinese Maize.

The color in the aleurone cells of maize early attracted the attention cf geneticists as affording ideal material for testing the segregation of characters in the second generation of hybrids. The first cases that were investigated led to the idea of only one unit o r factor being involved in the production of an aleurone color. With the progress of investigation, however, it became necessary to assume that two factors are involved. The occurrence of red and purple seeds on the same ear showed the need of recognizing a third factor, and the appearance of a pale color, or “dilute,” necessitated the assumption of a fourth, modifying, factor. A brief examination of the many varieties grown by the Indians of North and South America shows that there are still other aleurone colors not provided for in this scheme, such as clay (a light blue but very distinct from dilute) found in varieties grown by the Hopi Indians of Arizona; pink ( a light red), isolated from the Chinese waxy type, and black (an exceedingly intense blue or purple) found in varieties grown by the Navajo Indians and brown found in a Bolivian variety. It is not absolutely certain as yet whether additional factors are concerned in the production of these variations, or whether we are dealing with one or more dilution factors similar to those found in guinea pigs (WRIGHT 1916). Apart from the many shades of color there are several color patterns corresponding in a certain sense to those of animals. Not all of these patterns have been, as yet, thoroughly investigated, but they are so distinct in appearance that there can be little doubt that additional factors or heritable elements are involved in their expression. While at least two color schemes found on maize seeds are undoubtedly