Paris, H.S., Department of Vegetable Crops, Agricultural Research Organization, Newe Ya'ar Experiment Station, P.O., Haifa, Israel, Agricultural Research Organization, Bet Dagan, Israel
Nerson, H., Department of Vegetable Crops, Agricultural Research Organization, Newe Ya'ar Experiment Station, P.O., Haifa, Israel, Agricultural Research Organization, Bet Dagan, Israel

Two squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) cultivars, Fordhook Zucchini, which has dark, intensely pigmented fruit, and Vegetable Spaghetti, which has lightly pigmented fruit, were crossed and their F1, F2, and BC1 progenies observed with the aim of determining the inheritance of dark, intense fruit pigmentation. Two complementary dominant genes, designated L-1 and L-2, condition intense pigmentation throughout fruit development. In the absence of either L-1 or L-2, the dominant gene D conditions intense pigmentation from sometime after the young fruit (edible summer squash) stage. D also conditions dark, black-green peduncle and stem color. The three genes are inherited independently. The genotype of Fordhook Zucchini is D/D, L-1/L-1, L-2/L-2 and that of Vegetable Spaghetti is d/d, 1-1/ 1-1, 1-2/1-2. © 1986, American Genetic Association.