Abstract
The cytology of the endosperm in Trad O2, a hybrid clone of Tradescantia was studied. The tissue was found to be basically triploid (3n=18). With advancing maturity higher ploid cells, mostly in exact doublings of the triploid number also were seen making the tissue mixoploid. This endopolyploidy appears to be brought about by the blockage of mitosis at very early prophase.
Extensive spontaneous chromosome breakage and reunion, chromosome erosion, stickiness, spindle abnormalities nuclear polymorphism, nucleolar fragmentation etc. were observed in the degenerating endosperm and these could probably be the causes of endosperm breakdown in this natural hybrid.
