biologia plantarum

Biologia plantarum 7:199-211, 1965 | DOI: 10.1007/BF02921456

Nuclear instability and chromosomal mosaicism in the polyploids ofTrigonella foenum-graecum

S. S. Raghuvanshi¹, Sheila Joshi¹

¹ Cytogenetics Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, India

It was observed that the polyploids ofTrigonella foenum-graecum produced by seed treatment with 0.2% colchicine died after two cotyledonary stage, while the ones produced by seedling treatment survived. The root and shoot of seed treated plants were found to be mixoploids. The root tips exhibited 2n to 12n chromosomes and with the passage of time there is a regular decrease in the frequency of cells with lower chromosomes. The frequency of dividing cells decreases considerably towards the end of the 6th day due to the highploidy of most of the ploid plants. In case of seedling treatment the first formed tissue was mixoploid of high level similar to that of seed treated ones but in some cases the growing tip reverted to low level of ploidy which lead to more or less normal growth.
Since the difference in the constitution of seed and seedling treated plants lies in their root system, it has been suggested that probably highploidy of root system in the former may be responsible for the 100% mortality of plants.

Received: October 27, 1964; Published: May 1, 1965  Show citation