Inheritance and Mechanism of Midrib Stripe and Anthocyanin Pigmentation in Episcia
Journal
HortScience
Journal Volume
60
Journal Issue
12
Start Page
2218
End Page
2222
ISSN
0018-5345
Date Issued
2025-12
Author(s)
Abstract
The presence of midrib striping and anthocyanin-rich foliage significantlyenhances the aesthetic and commercial value of Episcia cupreata.Crosses amongnine cultivars and their progeny were analyzed to investigate the inheritance pat terns of leaf midrib striping and anthocyanin pigmentation. The results indicatedthat midrib striping is controlled by a dominant locus (M), which is epistaticallysuppressed by a dominant inhibitor (S) at a separate locus. Similarly, anthocyaninpigmentation is governed by a dominant locus (A), which is suppressed by a dominantinhibitor (I). Leaf anatomical structures were examined in the green-leaf, white striped ‘Thad’sYellowBird’ and the brown-leaf, pink-striped ‘War Paint’ to eluci date the mechanisms underlying foliar variegation and coloration. In ‘Thad’sYel low Bird’, air spaces were exclusively present in the white midrib regions, locatedbetween the epidermis and mesophyll, and absent in the green regions. In contrast,in ‘War Paint’, anthocyanins accumulated in the subepidermal layers of the pinkmidrib stripe, which also contained air spaces. In the brown regions, where airspaces were absent, anthocyanins localized in the mesophyll, predominantly withinthe spongy parenchyma cells. © 2025, American Society for Horticultural Science.
Subjects
air space
epistasis
foliage plant
leaf anatomy
variegation
Publisher
American Society for Horticultural Science
Type
journal article