Genetic Investigations of the Whorled Mutant in Gossypium Herbaceum.

WHORLED mutant in G. herbaceum has been reported from the Agricultural A Research Station, Surat, Bombay State, India, by CHAVDA and PATEL (1954). It had some phenotypic resemblance to the cluster-short branch mutant reported previously (PATEL, MUNSHI, and PATEL, 1947) the important common characteristic being short one-noded fruiting branches terminating in more than one flower bud. While the cluster mutant has under-sized leaves, buds, flowers, peduncles and bears bolls mostly singly, the whorled mutant has normal sized organs except slightly longer peduncles and bolls in clusters. In addition, the whorled mutant has the following characteristics: (1) I t has more than one monopodial branch a t most nodes of the primaries, particularly those towards the terminal side, irrespective of whether they are monopodial or sympodial. The secondary monopodia, in turn, give rise to tertiaries which are one or two in the lower region, and 2 to 3 in the terminal region of the main stem giving the plant a whorled appearance. (2) Its leaves are thick and mostly 3-lobed instead of 5-lobed (palmate), as found in a normal herbaceum plant. (3) The bolls are narrow and elongated. Whorled was crossed with