Inheritance of Flower Color in Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata L.)

• Published in: The Journal of heredity Vol. 98; no. 6; pp. 629 - 632
• Main Authors: Gettys, Lyn A, Wofford, David S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States The American Genetic Association 01.09.2007; Oxford University Press; Oxford Publishing Limited (England)
• Subjects: Aquatic ecosystems; Botany; Color; Crosses, Genetic; Diploidy; Flowers & plants; Flowers - genetics; Genotype; Plant reproduction; Pontederia cordata; Pontederiaceae - genetics; Population genetics
• ISSN: 0022-1503; 1465-7333; 1471-8505
• DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esm069

Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata L.) is a diploid (2n = 2× = 16), erect, emergent, herbaceous aquatic perennial. The showy inflorescences of pickerelweed make this species a prime candidate for inclusion in water gardens and aquascapes. The objective of this experiment was to determine the number of loci, number of alleles, and gene action controlling flower color (blue vs. white) in pickerelweed. Two blue-flowered and one white-flowered parental lines were used in this experiment to create S1 and F1 populations. F2 populations were produced through self-pollination of F1 plants. Evaluation of S1, F1, and F2 generations revealed that flower color in these populations was controlled by 2 alleles at one locus with blue flower color completely dominant to white. We propose that this locus be named white flower with alleles W and w.