Cytological Studies in Some North Indian Scrophulariaceae

Abstract

Cytological studies were carried out in 14 N. Indian taxa. Centranthera hispida (n=15) and Verbascum celsioides (n=18) represent the first chromosome counts for the genus and the species respectively. Two cytomorphotypes with n=7 and n=14 in Vandellia crustacea were also unknown earlier. For the remaining taxa one or the other earlier chromosome reports are confirmed. Meiosis was normal in most of the taxa. Secondary associations were observed in Verbascum thapsus and V. celsioides. Multiple associations in Antirrhinum majus (2x) represents interchange heterozygosity. Intraspecific aneuploidy in Verbascum thapsus (2n=34, 36), Antirrhinum orontium (2n=14, 16), intraspecific polyploidy in Antirrhinum majus (2n=16, 32), Veronica anagallis (2n=18, 36, 54) and both polyploidy and aneuploidy are evident in Vandellia crustacea (2n=14, 28, 32, 42). Origin and evolution of the tetraploid taxon in the last species is discussed.