Morphology, Cytology and Ethnobotany of Three Pimpinella L. Species (Apiaceae) from the North-western Himalayas, India
Sanjeev Kumar
College of Horticulture and Forestry, Neri, Hamirpur. (Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan) Himachal Pradesh, India.
Savita Rani *
School of Agricultural Sciences, Baddi University of Emerging Sciences & Technology, Solan-173205, Himachal Pradesh, India.
Sonika Kalia
Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied and Life Sciences, Uttaranchal University, Dehradun-248001, India.
Jatinder Kumar Sharma
School of Agricultural Sciences, Baddi University of Emerging Sciences & Technology, Solan-173205, Himachal Pradesh, India.
Syed Mudassir Jellani
Plant Biotechnology Divisions ICAR-Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture Old Air Field, Rangreth Srinagar (J&K)- 191132, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
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.
Keywords: Chromosome number, cytomixis, meiotic course, morphology, ethnobotany, pollen fertility, pimpinella, pollen grains, chromosomal stickiness meiotic abnormalities