Characterization of Epi-df, an Epigenetic Mutant Involved in Dwarfism and Floral Defects.

(A) Three-week-old seedlings of the wild type (left) and Epi-df (right).

(B) A wild-type (left), hybrid (middle), and Epi-df (right) plant at reproductive phase.

(C) The normal spikelet of the wild type.

(D) The mutated spikelets of Epi-df with loss of one empty glume (left), one elongated empty glume (middle), and two elongated empty glumes (right).

(E) The elongated lodicules of Epi-df.

(F) The normal spikelet of the wild type with removed palea and lemma.

(G) The mutated spikelets of Epi-df with removed palea and lemma showing five stamens (left), seven stamens (middle), and nine stamens (right). The pistils are also abnormal.

(H) The normal pistil with one carpel and two stigmas.

(I) to (M) The aberrant pistils of Epi-df. One carpel with four stigmas (I), two carpels with many stigmas (J), three carpels with many stigmas (K), and the aberrant carpels with amorphous tissues ([L] and [M]).

ca, carpel; eg, extra glume; le, lemma; lo, lodicule; pa, palea; st, stamen; stg, stigma; WT, the wild type. Bars = 10 cm in (A) and (B), 2 mm in (C) to (G), and 1 mm in (H) to (M).