A report of aneuploidy and cytomixis in rare and endemic species of central India: Cyathocline lutea Law ex Wight

Abstract

Cytological analysis of rare and endemic species Cyathocline lutea Law ex Wight (Asteraceae) of Maharashtra, India have been reported in the present study. This is the first aneuploid report for this species revealing chromosome count of n = 9. Meiotic irregularity like cytomixis has been observed for the first time in this species resulting in the formation of hypoploid and hyperploid PMCs which in turn resulted in two types of pollens. The frequency of cytomixis in PMCs was calculated as 10.55%. Pollen grain study revealed some small sterile unstained pollen (12.35%) and large fertile stained pollen (87.64%). The size of fertile pollen grains was 21.02–33.83 × 20.92–24.39 µm while sterile pollens were 18.04–24.53 × 16.85–20.48 µm.