Relationship between the shape of silica body from motor cells and morphological and physiological characters of grain for the discriminations of Indica and Japonica rice [Oryza sativa] in China

Methods of discrimination of indica and japonica rice based on the shape of silica body from motor cells in the leaf blade and on morphological and physiological characters of grain were compared, and their relationship was investigated. Fifty Chinese native and im-proved rice varieties (25 Hsien and 25 Keng) were used. Four morphological characters of silica body from the motor cells (vertical length, VL; horizontal length, HL; Iateral length, LL and shape coefficient b/a) (Fig. 1), grain shape (length, L; width, W and their ratio L/W), apiculus hair length (AH), phenol reaction of the hull (PR) and potassium chlorate (KCI03) resist-ance of seedlings (KC) based on injury scores (O to 3) were analysed. Based on the above characters of indica and japonica cultivars defined by Sato's discriminant function (Z (SD) =PR+1.313KC-0.82AH-1.251)