Abstract

Two genotypes exhibiting albinism were used to estimate the extent of selfing in B. arundinacea grown in Kerala. Albinos found among two of out of 13 families. The progeny of the 2 families segregated in a 3: 1 green: albino ratio indicating simple monogenic inheritance, the albinos being homozygous recessive lethals arising from either selfing or crossing between the 2 heterozygous families. Taking the spatial separation between the two parent clumps into account it was concluded that the albinos had arisen by selfing rather than cross pollination. Possible benefits of selfing in this semelparous species are discussed