Botany Division, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-12
Three mutants of Cajanus cajan, all of which failed to form fruits are described.
The sepaloid mutant had leaves with single leaflets instead of the normal trifoliate condition. This was observed to be associated with sepaloid condition of the inflorescence.
The Dwarf-straggling mutant was dwarf in habit with thin, wiry and straggling branches, simple leaves and abnormal rudimentary floral organs.
The cleistogamous mutant possessed thick, puckered trifoliate leaves and cleisto-gamous flowers.
The inheritance studies on these mutants indicated that in each case the abnormal conditions present in the mutant were recessive to the normalcy of the leaf and the floral organs. The studies further confirmed that in all probability the leaf and floral modifications were the pleiotropic effects of a single gene.
