biologia plantarum

Biologia plantarum 15:383-390, 1973 | DOI: 10.1007/BF02922757

Comparative effects of colchicine, caffeine

Satyesh Chandra Roy¹

¹ Cytogenetic Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, India

The effect of colchicine, caffeine and hydroquinone on nodal meristems ofCallisia fragrans has been studied. The polyploidy have been induced following 4 and 8 hours of treatment in 0.5% colchicine. The persistence of polyploidy in emerging roots even after 60 d. of recovery in the soil indicates that the colchicine affected not only the nodal roots but also the nodal tissue of the plant. The occurence of both diploid and polyploid roots in the same node has been attributed to the differential penetration of the compound to the different zones of tissue. The increase in the division frequency following certain period of recovery was also observed. Caffeine induced only different subnarcotic effects. The formation of the binucleate cells, (which is very common inVicia faba) has been found to be very rare in the present material. No significant results have been obtained following the hydroquinone treatment excepting some common subnarcotic effects.

Accepted: April 3, 1972; Published: November 1, 1973  Show citation