THE JOURNAL OF HEREDITY
Vol. 87, No. 1, January/February 1996. Pages 63-66.

Inheritance and Expression of Purple and Yellow Storage Root Color in Carrot

P. W. Simon

Inheritance of purple and yellow storage root pigmentation was studied in F₂ and BC generations derived from carrot plant introductions. Purple and yellow root colors were each conditioned by single dominant loci, P₁ and Y₂ . P₁ is described for the first time. Differences in expressivity of P₁ were noted within storage roots and throughout the plant. Purple root and flower pigmentation were inherited together in derivatives of PI 173687 but PI 175719 purple-rooted derivatives had no purple flower pigmentation. This suggests two different alleles of P₁. Purple node color was conditioned by a second locus, P₂ , which was linked to P₁ and separated by approximately 36 cM. Purple leaves, petioles, and bracts tended to be inherited together and independently of root pigmentation. Y₂ , which has been described previously, conditioned low carotene content of the storage root xylem ("core") in high carotene orange background whereas in lower carotene orange background the yellow appearance often spread into phloem. P₁ and Y₂ were not linked to each other or to Rs.

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