Meiotic studies in some species of tribe Cichorieae (asteraceae) from Western Himalayas

Abstract

The present paper deals with meiotic studies in 15 species belonging to 6 genera of the tribe Cichorieae from various localities of Western Himalayas. The chromosome number has been reported for the first time in Hieracium crocatum (2 n = 10) and Lactuca lessertiana (2 n = 2 x = 16). Further, intraspecific variability has been reported for the first time in H. umbellatum (2 n = 2 x = 10 and 2 n = 6 x = 54), Tragopogon dubius (2 n = 2 x = 14 and 2 n = 4 x = 28), and T. gracilis (2 n = 2 x = 14). The chromosome report of 2 n = 2 x = 10 in Youngia tenuifolia is made for the first time in India. Maximum numbers of the populations show laggards, chromosome stickiness, and cytomixis from early prophase to telophase-II, leading to the formation of aneuploid cells or meiocytes with double chromosome number. Such meiotic abnormalities produce unreduced pollen grains and the reduced pollen viability.