Thompson. A. E. and R. W. Hepler.
In 1954 a "late fruiting sport of Rutgers" was sent in for trial by a gardener in Rockford, Illinois. The mature plants had a marked yellow-green color and were easily identified in the field. The yellow-green color carried throughout the plant. The younger leaves of the growing points were lighter green than the mature leaves. The mutant superficially resembles the light green (1g) and the yellow virescent (yv) mutants. Allelic tests made with lg have proved the two to be completely independent. The double recessive of the two genes has been isolated. It is generally lighter green than either mutant, and has the characteristic reduction of chlorophyll pigmentation in the young foliage of the new mutant.
Allelic tests have not as yet been completed with yv. It is thought that the two are not allelic because of the difference in chlorophyll pigmentation of the cotyledons and seedling leaves. The new mutant is almost indistinguishable from lg in the seedling stage, but the yv mutant has markedly lighter green cotyledons. The cotyledons and seedling leaves of the new mutant and lg, appear to be slightlv lighter green in color than normal green plants at a comparable stage. There appears to be no reduction in seedling or mature plant vigor in the new mutant. No symbol has yet been assigned to the mutant until the results of the allelic test with yv are known.