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Apomictic behaviour in Costus afer – C. lucanusianus (Costaceae) complex in Nigeria
Author(s) -
Edeoga H. O.,
Okoli B. E.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
feddes repertorium
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.24
H-Index - 25
eISSN - 1522-239X
pISSN - 0014-8962
DOI - 10.1002/fedr.19961070110
Subject(s) - apomixis , inflorescence , taxon , biology , botany , sexual reproduction , palynology , ploidy , pollen , gene , biochemistry
Apomictic behaviour in Costus afer – C. lucanusianus (Costaceae) complex in Southern Nigeria had been investigated. This study showed that these species have produced intermediates which could be regarded as hybrid. Observations made on the inflorescence axis and the floral development revealed the exhibition of apomixis in C. lucanusianus J. BRAUN & K. SCHUM. and the natural hybrid but total absence of this behaviour in C. afer KER‐GAWL. In addition to apomictic behaviour, C. lucanusianus also reproduces by seed – (sexual reproduction). The outcome of the reproductive behaviour and the floral features of these taxa are the major causes of the taxonomic confusions commonly encountered by field biologists when grouping these taxa. However, the different mechanisms of apomixis give rise to a common endresult – the preservation of pure lines by essentially vegetative propagation, which produces the pattern of variation observed. Morphological characteristics of these taxa also suggest the occurrence of hybridisation in the complex; a fact that needs to be corroborated by evidence from studies on other areas such as palynology, cytology and breeding behaviour. The biological implications of these findings are interesting enough and have been discussed in this paper to the interest of the field workers, especially the taxonomists.