Abstract
Colchiploids were raised in C. melo var. momordica and C. prophetaranm. Morphologically autotetraploids were vigorous with a little increase in fruit size, though with decrease in number of fruits per vine and seeds per fruit.
A comparative meiotic analysis of colchiploids and four natural polyploids, C. pustulatus, C. membranifolius, C. meeusei and C. heptadactylis revealed that C. pustulatus and C. membranifolius with regular bivalent assoication are allopolyploids, while C. meeusei and C. heptadactylis with a few multivalent assoications are autopolyploids, may be segmental allopolyploids. A higher frequency of biva-lents in C. heptadactylis compared to earlier reports suggests that either selection of mutants ensuring bivalent association or diplontic gametes are evolving these species to diplontic behaviour. A high bivalent frequency comparative to natural polyploids observed in colchiploids suggest that they can attain diplontic behaviour like natural polyploids with generation advance and later may stabilise cytologically, sexually and agronomically.
