Cytogenetical studies in Rhoeo spathacea (Commelinaceae). I. A desynaptic and second division restitution mutant
A mutant causing partial desynapsis (dissociation of paired chromosomes), and consequently a high frequency of univalents at metaphase 1, was found in Rhoeo spathacea among the selfed progeny of a wild-collected ring-forming complex interchange heterozygote. All the plants were diploid, 2n = 2x = 12. The mutant formed univalents in all microsporocytes (range 2–12; average 7.56/cell), and 23.69% of the pollen mother cells contained the maximum of 12 univalents at metaphase I. There was no significant difference in pollen fertility between the mutant and parental plants. The desynaptic mutant produced microspores with chromosome numbers of n = 6–14 in the same anther. Unreduced pollen was formed at telophase II by second division restitution and comprised 52.74% of the pollen grains. By selfing, diplandrogynous tetraploid progeny (2n = 4x = 24) of 12 seedlings were obtained. The results demonstrate that both male and female gametes are unreduced.Key words: Rhoeo, desynapsis, univalent, second division restitution, tetraploid.