Chromosome studies of Alstroemeria pelegrina L.
Date
1990
Authors
Stephens, Janice L., author
Tsuchiya, Takami, advisor
Hughes, Harrison G., advisor
Lee, Chi Won, committee member
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Abstract
Karyotype analysis is one of the approaches to determine the parental species used for hybrid variety breeding. Alstroemeria pelegrina L. is considered to be one of the primary parents used in the development of many commercial cultivars of Alstroemeria. Somatic chromosomes were prepared from root tip cells using the acetocarmine squash method. Measurements from these cells were then used to develop a karyotype for A. pelegrina L.. The genome of A. pelegrina L. was shown to consist of two groups of four chromosomes each. The first group consists of metacentric or submetacentric chromosomes in which the smallest submetacentric is satellited. The second group consists of four acrocentric chromosomes in which chromosomes 5, 7 and 8 are satellited. The small submetacentric satellited chromosome in the first group provides a marker chromosome which is unique to A. pelegrina L.. The presence of this chromosome in the karyotype of a cultivar would indicate that A. pelegrina L. was a parent of that cultivar. Although A. pelegrina L. was shown to have a very similar karyotype for all the plants studied there were some differences between them. This indicates that chromosomal changes may be occurring within the species in individual plants resulting in karyotypic polymorphism. A study of the anthers from immature buds at anaphase I showed 8-8 separation without any abnormality. The stages of diakinesis or metaphase I showed that chromosome pairing was normal with 8 bivalents. Pollen viability varied from 44.7% in A. pelegrina L. 'rosea' to 80% in A. pelegrina L. 'alba'.
Description
Covers not scanned.
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Subject
Amaryllidaceae