2019 Volume 84 Issue 3 Pages 233-236
The genus Pedicularis L. comprises many medicinal species in Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh, the Northwest Himalayan range. In the present study, male meiotic studies have been carried out in six species of the genus and revealed n=8 chromosome number in all taxa. The chromosome number (n=8) in P. heterodonta and P. punctata are new to the world, while P. oederi reveals the first chromosome report for Indian populations. Besides, a B chromosome and structural heterozygosity were reported for the first time in P. hoffmeisteri and P. pectinata, respectively. Further, meiotic anomalies, like chromatin bridges, interbivalent connections, laggards, un-even gamete formation and reduce pollen viability, were also observed in the studied populations.