Abstract
The endopolyploidy during seedling development of Welsh onion (Allium fistulosum L.) is described. Flow cytometric measurements of relative nuclear DNA contents showed that certain cells became polyploid. Endopolyploidy was not present in the nuclei of embryos during imbibition. Endopolyploidization had taken place in all organs tested. Leaf segments of in vivo grown 3 month-old plants had elevated ploidy levels and contained nuclei of 2C, 4C, 8C, and 16C, where C is the haploid nuclear genome complement. The endopolyploid nuclei fall into clear ploidy series (2C, 4C, 8C, and 16C). Therefore, the process of endopolyploidy appears to correspond to endoreduplication.
