Inheritance and Biochemistry of Pollen Pigmentation in California Poppy (Eschscholzia californicaCham.)

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Abstract
© 2003 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved.A mutation to white pollen and petals in California poppy (Eschscholzia californica Cham.) is inherited as a single locus, with the mutant white allele recessive to the wild‐type orange allele. White pollen and petals were always coinherited, indicating the same mutation was responsible for both phenotypes. The inheritance of this mutation is sporophytic because all pollen from heterozygous plants produced 100% orange pollen. In contrast to white pollen mutants in other species, white pollen of California poppy is highly fertile. Measurements of total phenolics and UVA‐absorbing compounds within the petals and pollen showed no significant differences between the white mutant and wild‐type orange plants. Spectrophotometric measurements showed that white petals and pollen had significantly lower total carotenoid levels than the orange wild‐type petals and pollen, with carotenoids being virtually undetectable in the white pollen and present in only minute amounts in the white petals. Amounts of carotenoids were significantly lower in heterozygous orange plants than in homozygous orange plants, indicating that the wild‐type orange allele exhibits incomplete dominance over the white allele at the biochemical level. No carotenoids were detected in the white pollen using HPLC, with trace amounts detected in the petals. Despite differences in the amounts of carotenoids between heterozygous and homozygous orange plants, the same carotenoids were identified in equivalent tissues between these genotypes. The carotenoids present in orange petals and pollen were completely different. It would appear that for California poppy, carotenoids are not essential for pollen fertility.A. M. Wakelin, C. E. Lister, and A. J. Conne