Animesh K. Datta*1, Aninda Mandal1, Benoy K. Ghosh1, Aditi Saha2,
Sonali Sengupta3, Rita Paul4 and Priyanka Kumari Dubey1
1-Department of Botany, Cytogenetics and Plant Breeding Section, Kalyani University,
Kalyani – 741235, West Bengal, India
2- Department of Botany, Narasinha Dutt College, Howrah 711101
3- P.G. Department of Botany, Hoogly Mohsin College, Hoogly
4- Charuchandra College, Department of Botany, Kolkata-29
*Corresponding author email: dattaanimesh@gmail.com
Abstract: Cytological novelty (natural population) was recorded from two (P1 and P2) plants of Rhoeo spathacea var. bicolor (Swartz) Stearn (Commelinaceae) in the form of numerical variations in chromosome number (predominantly hypoploidy) both at metaphase I (P1 – 28.80%, P2 – 13.67%; 2n = 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 16 and 24 apart form normal 12) and anaphase I (P1 – 63.16%, P2 – 47.03%; types – 9 : 2 : 13, 7 : 7, 6 : 7, 3 : 1 : 7, 3 : 3 : 4, 5 : 5, 4 : 6, 3 : 4, 0 : 7, 3 : 1 : 3, 2 : 3 : 2, 0 : 6, 3 : 3 and 2 : 4 apart from 6 : 6, 5 : 7, 5 : 2 : 5, 4 : 8, 5 : 1 : 6 and 0 : 12) along with partial to total breakdown of conventional meiotic system, strong desynapsis (P1 – bivalents 0.84/cell, univalents 8.06/cell; P2 – bivalents 0.47/cell, univalents 8.41/cell), chromosomal abnormalities (differential condensation of chromosomes, asynchrony, bridge formation, tripolarity and trispory) and high sterility (P1 – pollen fertility 8.14%, viability 3.80%; P2 – pollen fertility 13.12%, viability 3.90%). The ‘elite’ plants described in Rhoeo may generate academic interest in performing cytological preparations, which seems to be a lost art.
Keywords: Breakdown of meiotic system, Cytological novelty, Desynapsis, Numerical variations in chromosome number, Sterility.
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