Abstract: The inheritance of plastid DNA in Pharbitis was studied by the method of restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP). Experimental results showed that plastid DNA from Pharbitis was paternally inherited in reciprocal crosses, P. nil × P. limbata and P. limbata × P. nil hybrids. But, in the cross of P. limbata × P. nil, the possibility of biparental inheritance of plastid DNA could not be roled out in our preliminary experiment. Thus Pharbitis became the third genus among angiosperms characterized with male plastid transmission. The mechanisms of paternal plastids DNA inheritance in Pharbitis is unclear. The authors proposed that dilution, exclusion and/or degeneration of maternal plastid, including their DNA, after fertilization should be considered.

Key words: Pharbitis, Plastid DNA, RFLP, Plastid, Paternal inheritance