Cytomorphological Diversity in Some Members of Family Asteraceae from the Ecologically Disturbed Habitats of Solang Valley, Kullu District, Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

Present cytomorphological surveys include meiotic studies and chromosome counts in 42 species under 93 accessions collected from the various localities of Solang Valley in Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh at different altitudes ranging from 2,400 to 3,100 m. Artemisia salsaloides (n=10), Dandranthema boreale (n=36), Ligularia fischeri (n=30) and Tussilago farfara (n=12) are recorded as the first ever chromosomal counts from India. Additional/variable cytotypes are recorded in Anaphalis nepalensis (2n=6x=42), A. triplinervis (2n=6x=42), Artemisia nilagirica (2n=4x=36; 2n=6x=54), Artemisia salsoloides (n=10), Brachyactis pubescens (2n=4x=36), Dandranthema boreale (2n=8x=72), Taraxacum officinale (2n=8x=64) and Tussilago farfara (2n=2x=24). Intraspecific polyploid cytotypes are reported in Anaphalis nepalensis (4x, 6x), Artemisia nilagirica (4x, 6x) and Taraxacum officinale (2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 6x) from the valley. Existence of B-chromosome has been reported in Cnicus wallichii (2n=34+0-1B) which is the first ever record for the species at world level.