Cytology of Encephalartos hildebrandtii A. Br. & Bouche

Abstract

The chromosomes of Encephalartos hildebrandtii A. Br. & Bouche were studied from root tip cells (2n-27), and the plant was found to be a triploid on the basic chromosome number 9. Karyotype analysis has shown that the somatic complement consists of two sets of chromosomes, a diploid set of 18 chromosomes in nine paris, and a haploid set of 9, and therefore it is suggested that this is an allotriploid.This is the first report of a polyploid species in the genus Encephalartos, and also in the whole of the Cycadales. © 1966 Oxford University Press.