Cytomorphological Evaluation of Intraspecific 2x and 4x Cytotypes in Tragopogon pratensis L. —An Important Medicinal Plant of Cold Deserts of Ladakh, India

Abstract

The intraspecific euploid (2x, 4x) cytotypes have been reported in Tragopogon pratensis from the cold deserts of Ladakh division in Jammu and Kashmir. Both the cytotypes showed perfect bivalent formation, regular meiotic course and normal microsporogenesis leading to high pollen fertility. The 4x plants are more vigorous and growing much taller than the 2x plants and show gigantism in various vegetative and floral characters besides the increase in the size of stomata and pollen grains. Analysis of meiotic chromosome pairing and chromosome size in the 4x cytotype suggests its allopolyploid nature.