Genetic studies in rice (Oryza sativa L.): Inheritance of four spikelet characters

Inheritance of four spikelet characters, viz., anthocyan in pigmentation in lemma/palea,red awn, black hull and awning (awn formation) was studied in a cross between two upland rice cultivars, namely, D 6-2-2 (green variety) and HY-256 Purple (purple variety). Purplish black zones in lemma/palea, red awn and black hull characters behaved as recessive and each segregated into a hexagenic ratio of 3: 4093 for their presence vs. absence with the involvement of one basic gene for the character expression and five inhibitory duplicate genes, while awning which also behaved as a recessive trait was under the control of five genes, of which one was basic and the other four were inhibitory duplicate genes to give a genetic ratio of 3: 1021 for presence vs. absence of awns. Each of these characters was monogenic dominant in the absence of the inhibitory genes.