STUDIES ON THE CYTOLOGY OF BROMEGRASS, BROMUS INERMIS LEYSS.
A population of 222 plants of 16 varieties and strains of northern and southern bromegrass was studied for somatic chromosome number. The following observations were noted: Aneuploid plants, including the chromosome numbers 54, 55, 57 and 58, were found within the species, Bromus inermis. One plant was found to have 49 chromosomes. A cytological difference was found between certain varieties of northern and southern types of bromegrass. The northern type had a significantly higher number of aneuploid plants with chromosome numbers in excess of 56, while the southern type had more aneuploid plants with fewer than 56 chromosomes. Some evidence was found suggesting that selection of northern type strains may bring about a simultaneous selection for additional chromosomes, whereas selection for southern type strains may involve a simultaneous selection for plants with missing chromosomes. Average seed set was found to be lowered in the presence of two additional chromosomes or absence of two chromosomes from the euploid complement.