Unique Floral Morphology of Double Grained Heirloom Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Variety, Jugal, of West Bengal, India and the Need of its Conservation

Jugal, the unique heirloom rice folk or traditional variety from West Bengal, India, is a natural rice genotype which produces multiple fertile seeds. In this present investigation the floral development of double grained variety, Jugal is studied. It has been reported that homeotic mutation in a number of genetic loci causes an increased number of stamens and carpels. In rice (Oryza sativa L.) the unique structure of the inflorescence and flower has greatly diverged from those of model eudicots. In contrast to eudicot flowers which typically exhibit sepals and petals at their periphery, the flowers of grasses are distinguished by the presence of characteristic outer organs. The structural units of the grass flower are spikelets and florets. The spikelet is the primary unit of the grass inflorescence, and it comprises glumes (bract-like organs) and florets. The rice floret consists of one lemma, one palea, two lodicules, six stamens, and one central pistil that contain one pistal. Multiple-pistillate mutants are produced in rice to study the flower development genetics. Molecular studies of rice flowering require a number of mutant varieties of different abnormalities, which is produced by different techniques. Jugal, a natural double grained variety may be an important tool for the study of molecular biology of flowering in rice. Jugal needs to be conserved for use in molecular studies of floral development in rice. Documentation of Jugal must be undertaken before this heirloom rice variety fades away into oblivion.