Morphology, Cytology and Ethnobotany of Three Pimpinella L. Species (Apiaceae) from the North-western Himalayas, India

Abstract

During the present study, population-based meiotic studies were carried out on three species and 14 populations of the genus Pimpinella from selected localities of district Kangra and Sirmaur of Himachal Pradesh in the North-Western Himalayas (India). The present chromosome adds up of 2n=18 in P. acuminata making a count of new diploid cytotype on a world-wide basis. Impaired male meiosis was eminent in all populations of Pimpinella achilleifolia and P. diversifolia and the populations with 2n=18 in P. acuminata. These uneven species were striking with meiotic abnormalities in the form of cytomixis, chromosomal stickiness, unoriented bivalents, formation of laggards and bridges consequential in abnormal microsporogenesis, and production of heterogeneous-sized fertile pollen grains along with reduced pollen fertility.