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SEMISTERILITY IN THE INTERSPECIFIC HYBRID MELILOTUS POLONICA × M. ALBA
Author(s) -
Jaranowski Julian K.
Publication year - 1961
Publication title -
american journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.218
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1537-2197
pISSN - 0002-9122
DOI - 10.1002/j.1537-2197.1961.tb11600.x
Subject(s) - biology , pollen , meiosis , melilotus , sterility , hybrid , botany , chromosome , interspecific competition , genetics , gene
J aranowski , J. K. (Coll. of Agriculture, ul. Wojska Polskiego 71c, Poznan, Poland.) Semisterility in the interspecific hybrid Melilotus polonica × M. alba. Amer. Jour. Bot. 48(1): 28–35. Illus. 1961.—Interspecific hybrids between Melilotus polonica ( n = 8) and M. alba ( n = 8) are readily secured. The F 1 hybrids are intermediate between the parents and partially sterile with a mean percentage of 58.8 (ranging from 46.8 to 72.6) defective pollen grains. Six bivalents and a chain or ring of 4 chromosomes occur at diakinesis and metaphase‐I of microsporogenesis. A crossshaped configuration characteristic of a reciprocal translocation is present at pachytene, indicating that one of the parents is homozygous for an interchange of relatively large section between two of the members of the chromosome complex. Chromosome bridges, lagging chromosomes, movement of the univalents to the same pole and precocious division of the univalents lead to aberrant chromosome distribution during the course of meiosis. Reduction in self‐fertility indicates a corresponding aberrant distribution of chromosomes during megasporogenesis. Pollen sterility in the F 2 generation ranged from 24.8% to 72.5% with a mean value of 54.6%. Two plants in the F 2 generation which had relatively low pollen sterility proved to be aneuploids (2 n + 1). Meiotic irregularities in the F 2 plants were comparable to those exhibited by the F 1 plants.