Species relationship in the genus Cucumis L. revealed by crossability, chromosome pairing and seed protein electrophoresis

Abstract

Interrelationships between the wild and cultivated species of Cucumis L. and their F1 hybrid was analyzed based on morphological, crossability, chromosome pairing behaviour and seed-protein profiles. Morphologically the wild species, C. pubescens Willd., was found to be distinct from the cultivated taxa C. melo var. melo L. Hybridization studies using the cultivated variety, C. melo and the wild taxa, C. pubescens revealed that the two species of Cucumis were cross compatible. Most of the morphological characters of the F1 hybrid were intermediate to that of their parents. Fertile hybrid with normal bivalents (n = 12) indicated genomic relationships between the wild and cultivated taxa. Seed protein profile revealed that banding pattern of parents and hybrid were closely related, thereby corroborates the close morphological and cytogenetical affinities of the wild and cultivated taxa. The study suggests the possibility to transfer some of the agriculturally important characters of the wild to the popular cultivated varieties through hybridization.