摘要 : A fasciated cowpea line resulting from spontaneous mutation in the F4 population of a backcross involving TVU 3000 X IT82D-604 was studied. The mutant plants were both male and female sterile and exhibited crumpled petals and sepa... 展开 A fasciated cowpea line resulting from spontaneous mutation in the F4 population of a backcross involving TVU 3000 X IT82D-604 was studied. The mutant plants were both male and female sterile and exhibited crumpled petals and sepals, rosette branching and also an abnormal number of stigmata ranging from zero to two. Fasciation was also associated with other aberrant characteristics. Plant height at maturity was 64.10 cm and 42.50 cm for the normal and fasciated mutant, respectively. Fasciated mutants produced more fodder (24.9 g/plant compared to 16.4 g/plant for normal plants). Inheritance studies indicated that fasciation was conditioned by a single recessive gene, which is being designated as fa. Pollen sterility was caused by the sudden degeneration of tapetal cells resulting in the starvation of the microspores. The implications of the fasciated mutant for cowpea improvement are discussed. 收起