Studies in the Indian Scilleae. II

The cytology of Scilla indica Baker

Abstract

Three karyotypes of Scilla indica, 2n=44, 45, 46 have been recognised. The 45 type is ‘broad-leaved’, while the 44 and 46 are ‘narrow leaved’ and indistinguishable morphologically from one another.
The somatic chromosome complements have been analysed in the tree types.
Meiosis is extremely irregular and the irregularities have been described in detail.
Polyploid pollen formation has been recorded and this is related to the failure of cell wall development in the first division or in the two divisions.
The chromosomes in the diploid pollen grain exhibit what may be termed somatic pairing.
On the evidence of the various irregularities in meiosis and the analysis of the chromosome complements, it is suggested that Scilla indica is a hybrid between a sixteen chromosomed species and a twenty-chromosomed species, the complement being suggested to be made up of a triploid set of the former and a diploid set of the latter.