Mapping and Functional Analysis of a Maize Silkless Mutant .

The maize () stigma, which is commonly known as silk, is indispensable for reproduction and thus for grain yield. Here, we isolated a spontaneous mutant , which completely lacks silk; scanning electron microscopy showed that the pistils degenerated during late floret differentiation. Genetic analysis confirmed that this trait was controlled by a recessive nuclear gene and was mapped to a 74.