LAUSR

Of the four Gossypium species under commercial cultivation in India, G. hirsutum or upland cotton occupies around 70% of the area. Morphological mutants of this species have been extensively used in genetic mapping studies, variety identification and in several instances they proved to be useful from agronomic aspects. Three new morphological mutants were detected in cotton G. hirsutum: The five petals in some lines of G. hirsutum have an area of anthocyanin pigmentation at the base called a petal spot. Cultivated upland cotton lacks a petal spot but it is not uncommon in the so called primitive cottons or race stocks (FRYXELL 1984). Red petal spotted spontaneous mutants of G. hirsutum species have been detected in the population of MCU5-2, AKH-0308 and AKH-9618 cultivars. Anthocyanin pigmentation of the stamen filaments is relatively uncommon in G. hirsutum, although it is diagnostic in a few other Gossypium species (FRYXELL 1984). WILSON (1987) identified a pink filament mutant with petal spot. A different spontaneous mutant with light and dark pink stamen filament possessing light and dark pink margins of its petals and without petal spots was INFORMATION