Polyploidy in Solanum Melongena Linn

Abstract

1. The ehromosomes of diploid (2x=24) and triploid (3x=36) Solanum Melongena were studied in somatic and meiotic divisions. The triploid arose from the funetioning of a diploid pollen grain. 2. Long median and short chromosomes are distinguished at meiotic metaphase and differ at meiosis in two ways:- (a) The shorter ehromosomes have fewer chiasmata and consequently univalents of this type are commoner in the triploid (as in Hyacinthus). (b) The shorter chromosomes have earlier and more complete terminalisation than the Tonger ones (as in Fritillaria). 3. The triploid when selfed gave two tetraploid and 11 tetraploid or nearly tetraploid seedlings. These evidently resulted from gametes to which all the extra set of chromosomes had passed at meiosis. This is compatible when the random segregation observed at meiosis for the triploid is less than 1% fertile.