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Cucurbit Genetics Cooperative Report 15:110 (article 39) 1992
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Corrigenda to the 1991 Watermelon Gene List (CGC 14:129-137)

Warren Henderson

North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7609 USA

The following corrigenda deal with three genes (Wf, y, yo) which determine flesh color in watermelon.

Gene symbol
Preferred
Synonym
Character
Referencez
Wf
W
White flesh. Wf is epistatic to the second gene b (or C?) which conditions yellow (Canary yellow?) and red flesh. Wf_B_ and WF_bb are white fleshed, wf wf b_ is yellow fleshed, and wf b b is red fleshed
33
y
r
yellow flesh ('Golden Honey' type). Recessive to Y (red flesh)
8, 24, 27
yo
orange flesh (from 'Tendersweet Orange Flesh'). Allelic to y. Y (red flesh) is dominant to yo (orange flesh) and y (yellow flesh); yo (orange flesh) is dominant to y (yellow flesh)
8

z As referenced in the bibliography for the 1991 Watermelon Gene List (CGC 14:129-137).

The major changes are:

  1. Relationships at the y locus are allelic (rather than epistatic as previously listed).
  2. The red and rd gene synonyms for y have been dropped completely until their status becomes clearer. Navot et al. (J. Hered. 81:162-165, 1990) considered red recessive, whereas at the y locus red (Y) is dominant; they did not describe the phenotype of the dominant allele (to red) and only stated that its inheritance was complex.
  3. Wf appears to be epistatic to a second locus, other than y. This locus is probably B (or maybe C) as suggested by Shimotsuma (Jap. J. Breeding 13:235-240. 1963).