Inheritance of mutant and wild type leaf shape in greengram(Vigna radiata)and blackgram(Vigna mungo)

Leaf shape is an important phenotypic trait in Vigna spp. and to find out the inheritance of different leaf shape types in greengram (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek) and blackgram (Vigna mungo L. Hepper) intervarietal crosses were made among different leaf shape type bearing genotypes of greengram and blackgram during rainy season of year 2007. F2 and F3 populations are grown during rainy season of 2008 and 2009, respectively and they are phenotyped for the trait under study. Mendelian inheritance of ovate leaf shape in greengram and lanceolate leaf shape in blackgram was found to be controlled by single recessive gene in the entire cross combinations. The proposed gene symbols for leaf shape in greengram and blackgram are ov and OV, respectively. Since leaf shape is distinct morphological feature and is in case simply inherited, hence this can be used as potential phenotypic marker in genetic studies.