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MORPHOLOGY OF SOME MAIZE‐TRIPSACUM HYBRIDS
Author(s) -
Newell C. A.,
Wet J. M. J.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
american journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.218
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1537-2197
pISSN - 0002-9122
DOI - 10.1002/j.1537-2197.1974.tb06026.x
Subject(s) - hybrid , biology , backcrossing , univariate , multivariate analysis of variance , ploidy , inflorescence , analysis of variance , discriminant function analysis , multivariate analysis , botany , multivariate statistics , genetics , statistics , gene , mathematics
Diploid (2 n = 20) and tetraploid (2 n = 40) Zea mays L. were crossed with diploid (2 n = 36) and tetraploid (2 n = 72) Tripsacum dactyloides (L.) L. to produce a series of hybrids combining different numbers of haploid genomes from each parent. Eight hybrid groups and three parental groups were studied morphologically. Twenty‐nine quantitative characters were recorded for each sample. Data were analyzed by univariate analysis of variance, multivariate analysis of variance, and discriminant function analysis, in an attempt to evaluate hybrid differences objectively and determine which morphological characters contribute statistically to group separation. The overall MANOVA F test was significant, establishing the presence of real differences between the hybrids; discriminant function analysis indicated that the percent of paired pistillate spikelets/cupule in the lateral inflorescence was the main variable which differentiated hybrids. Duncan's Multiple Range Tests for significant differences between means were applied to five variables contributing maximally to group discrimination, using the appropriate univariate ANOVAs. Pronounced maize‐like attributes of backcross hybrids, as compared with corresponding F 1 's possessing similar genome constitutions, gave possible evidence of gene transfer between Zea mays and Tripsacum during backcrossing to maize.