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Which visible traits did Gregor Mendel examine in garden peas?

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Gregor Mendel, a pioneer in the study of genetics, focused his research on the garden pea (Pisum sativum). Unlike his predecessors, he tracked the inheritance of specific, easily distinguishable traits rather than the appearance of the whole plant.12

The visible traits Mendel examined included:2

Seed shape: Round versus wrinkled12
Seed colour: Yellow versus green12
Flower colour: Purple versus white2
Plant height: Tall versus short2

By performing controlled cross-pollination and making exact counts of the resulting offspring, Mendel identified that these traits appeared in consistent numerical ratios. He categorized these traits as either dominant or recessive, providing the foundation for his laws of inheritance, including the law of segregation and the law of independent assortment.12