Associated Press - July 12, 2010 3:24 PM ET
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) - A University of Georgia plant scientist has helped unlock the genetic secret of the four-leaf clover.
Wayne Parrott says it's the result of 18 years of research and modern DNA analytical techniques that shed light on the four-leaf trait.
Scientists have spent a century trying to figure out why clover sometimes produces a plant with four leaves instead of the usual three.
Parrott says he and his fellow researchers also found the rare gene that gives some clover plants red flecks, and another rare gene that lends other variants a pattern of red leaf veins.
In addition to new, colorful clover varieties, Parrott wants to breed plants with the four-leaf gene.
Information from: Athens Banner-Herald, http://www.onlineathens.com
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