Cytology of Tea

Abstract

Cytological investigations on Camellia sinensis, C. assamica, and their hybrid (Jat) were undertaken in the present study.
The somatic chromosome number (2n=30) observed in the species C. sinensis and C. assamica is in conformity with the earlier reports. Also meiosis in pollen mother cells was regular in these species. However the meiosis was irregular in China-Assam hybrid. Localized unpairing at pachytene, stickiness resulting in apparent higher association, laggards, sticky bridges etc. and variations in the number of daughter nuclei at telophase II were encountered in the hybrid. It is concluded that these cytological abnormalities are caused by molecular level interactions between the genes from C. sinensis and C. assamica. In the light of the original geographical isolation of China tea and Assam tea, different morphology and the aberrant meiosis in the hybrid, it appears better to consider them as distinct species.