Cytomorphological, Biochemical and Palynological Studies in Trichosanthes anguina L. and T. cucumarina L.

Abstract

Karyotype analysis, meiosis, pollen grain morphology, thin layer chromatographic analysis of phenolic compounds in leaves, external morphology and flowering behaviour were studied in Trichosanthes cucumarina and two fruit colour varieties of T. anguina.
The two species differed not only in their karyotypes but remarkably in total chromatin length, pollen grain morphology and in leaf, fruit and seed sizes, and in flowering behaviour. The total chromatin length of T. cucumarina was more than T. anguina. The leaves, fruits and seeds of T. anguina were larger than T. cucumarina. Compared to T. anguina, T. cucumarina was a late flowering type. Meiosis was normal in all the materials. The number of spots for phenolic compounds in T. cucumarina was more than the two varieties of T. anguina. Only three spots were in common between the two species. The two species differed in at least seven reliable constituents.