Fruit Research Station, Saharanpur
(1) Studies were made in the sex expression, sex ratio and floral abnormalities in three species of the genus Trichosanthes viz. li. anguina, T. cucumerina and T. dioica.
(2) The various varieties studied of T. anguina, and T. cucumerina were invariably monoecious, while those of T. dioica were dioecious.
(3) The, sex ratio varied from 25. 25:1 to.225. 23: 1 in the case.T. anguina, it was 29. 32:1 in. T.. cucumerina, and in the case of Hybrids between these, it ranged from 37. 16: 1 to 67. 72: 1, showing predominance of male flowers.
(4) The maximum number of femaie flowers (178) per plant was: noted in the interspecific hybrid H5 followed by 176 female flowers in T. cucumerina: The largest number of female flowers per plant observed in varieties of T anguina was 52.
(5) The maximum number of stami-nate and pistillate flowers was produced during September and October in early and late sown crops, respectively.
(6) Staminate flowers, appeared nearly; a week before the first pistillate flowers in, the monoecious species. Severing the staminate flowers, at the time of anthesis did not result in any increase of the pistillate flowers.
(7) A number of abnormalities ob-served in the species under study, are described.
(8) A tendency towards hermaphroditism was observed in the flow,ers of T. anguina and T. dioica.
