Cytomorphological studies in autotetraploid Asparagus officinalis L

Abstract

A comparative study of morphological and cytological characters of a diploid and artificially induced tetraploids Asparagus officinalis has been made. Vegetatively tetraploids are more vigorous than the diploids but cytologically they exhibit an unstable nature. A breakdown of tetraploidy has been noticed which was due to large number of irregularities in meiosis like quadrivalents, trivalents and univalents at metaphase and laggards and bridges at anaphase. In few cases multipolar spindle and nuclear breakdown was seen. Several PMC's showed reduced chromosome numbers probably due to chromosome elimination during the premeiotic division.