Analysis of Meiotic Behavior in <i>Eremurus himalaicus</i> Baker (Liliaceae): A Rare Endemic Perennial from Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh, India

Abstract

Summary Detailed meiotic studies have been carried out in 11 accessions of Eremurus himalaicus Baker belonging to family Liliaceae an endemic medicinal plant of the Northwestern Himalayas. E. himalaicus, due to its excessive exploitation for edible uses, is living under stress and has therefore been listed in the Red Data Book of Indian Plants as a rare species. Considering x=7 as the basic chromosome number for the species, E. himalacus revealed the diploid chromosome count of 2n=14. Out of 11 populations worked out cytologically, 3 populations of the species were normal in their meiotic behavior while the rest of the populations showed abnormal meiotic behavior. The phenomenon of cytomixis, presence of two to five nucleoli and various other meiotic abnormalities were observed in the form of unoriented bivalents, chromosome stickiness, late disjunction, laggards and bridges in eight populations. Earlier studies were limited to the counting of chromosome number, so these meiotic abnormalities were reported for the first time in the studied species. Further, the microsporogenesis was also abnormal leading to the formation of monad, dyads, triads and abnormal tetrads with the fusion among tetrads which ultimately leads to reduced pollen fertility.

Incidence and frequency of desynapsis in Eremurus persicus (Jaub. & Spach) Boiss.(Asphodelaceae) – A native and important medicinal plant species of Western Himalaya

“…Somatic chromosome analysis of eight species of Aloe (Asphodelaceae) showed diploid chromosome number of 2n = 14 (Sánchez-Get al 2018). The other species of the genus growing in India, i.e., E. himalaicus is also diploid with chromosome num-ber of 2n = 14 (Kumari et al, 2016). In present study meiotic abnormalities were found in the target species, similarly meiotic abnormalities were also found in E, himalaicus growing in Indian Himalayan region (Kumari et al, 2016).…”

“…The other species of the genus growing in India, i.e., E. himalaicus is also diploid with chromosome num-ber of 2n = 14 (Kumari et al, 2016). In present study meiotic abnormalities were found in the target species, similarly meiotic abnormalities were also found in E, himalaicus growing in Indian Himalayan region (Kumari et al, 2016). The abnormalities are attributed to pervading environmental conditions in the Himalaya (Wani et al 2023).…”