Cytological Causes of Spontaneous Fruit Abortion in Haemanthus katherinae Baker

Abstract

An extensive cytological investigation of the endosperm of Haemanthus katherinae revealed the following. The endosperm is basically triploid (3n=27) even though it becomes mixoploid by increasing incidence of endopolyploidy with advancing maturity. This endopolyploidy is caused by mitotic inhibition either at prophase or metaphase. Spontaneous chromosome aberrations were very frequent especially in degenerating endosperm. Also the inflammation of chromosomes causing stickiness, unique unravelling of chromosomes into extremely long hair like structures, nuclear polymorphism, amitosis and nucleolar fragmentation were salient features of degenerating endosperm. It is concluded that the above abnormalities may be causing spontaneous fruit abortion in Haemanthus katherinae.