1) Karyomorphological study was made on somatic chromosomes of
Secale cereale L., and it was found that seven pairs of the chromosomes were distinguished each from others in their length and shape.
2) In this paper these chromosomes were designated as a, b, c, d, e, f and g, accordingly their length were all characterized by the respective morphological features (Figs. 1, 2).
3) Though all of the chromosomes are of submedian type, the “a” chromosome in a certain varieties has a secondary contriction in the long arm, and the “d” of some varieties has a small satellite attached to the end of the short arm. The other chromosomes, however, show no different figure in any variety. A satellite is always observed in the “e” and “f” chromosomes, but that of the “e” is sphaerical and smaller than the pyriformic satellite of the “f”.
4) As three different types are found regarding the “a” and two types in the “d”, five karyotypes are distinguishable in rye plants, e.g. a
1d
1, a
1d
2, a
2d
1, a
2d
2 and a
3d
2(Fig. 3).
5) In the first type, a
1d
1, the characteristics of each pair of the chromosomes are as follows:
a……about 10μ long, of submedian type without secondary constriction,
b, c and d……submedian type,
e……submedian type with a small satellite on its short arm,
f……submedian type with a large satellite on its short arm,
g……about 6μ long with submedian constriction.
This karyotype was observed in a race, “
Greenland Original”.
6) The second a
1d
2 type, is characterized by the “d” chromosome having small satellite on its short arm, though remaining chromosomes are similar to the first type. This type was found in “
Deve de Sarve” and a certain race of spring rye.
7) The third type or a
2d
1, shows characteristic constrications in the long arm of the “a” chromosome, and has “d” chromosome similar to the first type. “
Korean” No. 1 and No. 2 are of this type.
8) The fourth a
2d
2 type, which is almost similar to the former a
2d
1, type, is distinguished from the a
2d
1, by the peculiar “d” with a small satellite on its short arm. This was found in the varieties, “
Podolia” and “
Trisperuum”.
9) In the fifth or a
3d
2 type is found curiously shaped “a” chromosome: this has two secondary constrictions in both arms near the spindle fiber attachment, and looks like as if two tadpoles are connected with their heads each other. This was a type found in “
Petkuser”.
10) Among those types listed above, the a
1d
1, seems to be the most primitive one and types of a
1d
2, a
2d
1 a
2d
2 and a
3d
2 may have changed gradually in chromosome morphology from the type of a
1d
1.
11) It was suggested that this study will faciltate to solve the pending problem concerning the origin of extra chromosomes found in 8-, 9- and 10- chromosome rye plants.
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