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Chromosome Studies andPolyploidy Analysis in Grassesof West Pakistan IS. R. Baquara & Manzoor Saeeda

a Cytogenetics Section, Central Laboratories,P.C.S.I.R., Karachi-32, PakistanPublished online: 29 Jan 2014.

To cite this article: S. R. Baquar & Manzoor Saeed (1969) Chromosome Studiesand Polyploidy Analysis in Grasses of West Pakistan I, Caryologia: InternationalJournal of Cytology, Cytosystematics and Cytogenetics, 22:2, 103-111, DOI:10.1080/00087114.1969.10796328

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00087114.1969.10796328

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CARYOLOGIA VoLUME 22 APRILE-GIUGNO 1969 NuMERO 2

CHROMOSOME STUDIES AND POLYPLOIDY ANALYSIS IN GRASSES OF WEST PAKISTAN I

S. R. BAQUAR and MANZOOR SAEED

Cytogenetics Section, Central Laboratories, P.C.S.I.R., Karachi- 32, Pakistan

Received: Gtli July 1968

INTRODUCTION

In view of the economic importance and the scarcity of cytological information on the family Graminae in Pakistan, a chromosome survey and polyploidy analysis has been undertaken. Barring a few stray records, practi­cally no work has been done so far on the cytology of grasses in Pakistan. The only record worth mentioning is that of SAKAMOTO and MuRAMATsu (1965) who studied 36 species from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran, during the Kyoto University Scientific Expedition to Karakorum and Hindukush in 1955, which includes not more than seven species from West Pakistan. The present work comprises chromosome counts of 20 indigenous species (Table I) four of which are reported for the first time (Chrysopogon aucheri (Boiss.) Stapf; Aeluropus lagopoides (L.) Trin; Sporobolus marginatus Hochst; Uro­chondra setulosa (Trin.) Hubb.). The last mentioned species represents a genus not studied before. In 8 of the other species our numbers are different from numbers earlier reported ( Brachiaria ramosa ( L.) Stapf; Echinochloa colonum (L.) Link; Setaria tomentosa (Roxb.) Kunth; Cymbopogon jawaran­cusa (Jones) Schult.; Lasiurus hirsutus (Forsk.) Boiss.; Dactyloctenium aegyp­tium (L.) Beauv.; Eragrostis pilosa (L.) Beauv.; Chloris barbata Sw.). In the remaining 8 species, our counts corroborate earlier findings.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In 8 species gametic chromosome counts were made from the pollen mother cells (PMC's) for which buds, collected from the plants growing in their natural habitat, were fixed in Carnoy solution (ethanol-chloroform-acetic acid in a ratio

[Caryologia, Vol. 22, n. 2, 1969

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9 O

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014

TAB

LE

I

Show

ing

the

chro

mos

ome

num

bers

, lo

cali

ty

and

date

o

f co

llec

tion

of

pl

ants

in

vest

igat

ed.

Tri

be

-S

peci

es

PA

NIC

EA

E

Bra

chia

ria

ram

osa

(L.)

S

tapf

Cen

chru

s pe

nnis

etif

orm

is H

och

st.

C. s

etig

erus

Vah

l

Ech

inoc

hloa

co

lonu

m

(L.)

L

ink

Pan

icum

an

tido

tale

R

etz.

Loc

alit

y an

d

dat

e o

f co

llec

tion

Kar

achi

, C

entr

al

Lab

s.,

Cam

pus,

24

-4-6

7

Kar

achi

, C

entr

al

Lab

s.,

Cam

pus,

5-

4-67

Kar

achi

, N

azim

abad

, 18

-4-6

7

Kar

achi

, E

xh

ibit

ion

g

rou

nd

, 17

-4-6

7

Kar

achi

, M

alir

, 29

-4-6

7

c :ll ... 0::

n 12*

-- - 9''

9

Pas

pali

dium

gem

inat

um (

For

ssk.

) S

tapf

In

du

s D

elta

, m

oist

fie

lds,

9

Mir

pu

r S

akro

,

Pas

palu

m

scro

bicu

latu

m L

.

Seta

ria

tom

ento

sa (

Rox

b.)

Ku

nth

* N

ew

reco

rds.

21-2

-68

Ind

us

Del

ta,

wat

er l

ogge

d ar

eas,

Mir

pu

r S

akro

, 21

-2-6

8

Kar

achi

, D

um

loti

, 22

-5-6

7 9*

c .!2

~ =

-~

. !2

>

... ~

>

p..

c ......

2n

n 16

17

34

-18

34

27 9 20

40

18

c .g .. -~ ...

Au

tho

rity

>

c ...... 2n

PAT

IL a

nd

GH

OSH

196

2 36

M

uLA

Y

and

LEE

LAM

MA

19

56

AB

BA

SI a

nd

IsL

AM

196

8 34

A

BB

ASI

an

d I

SLA

M 1

968

DE

LIS

LE

19

63

34

}AN

AK

I-AM

MA

L (i

n D

AR

LIN

GTO

N a

nd

WY

LIE

195

5)

36

FISH

ER

et

al.

1954

CH

EN a

nd

Hsu

196

1; Y

AB

UN

O 1

962;

GuP

TA

196

3 36

B

RO

WN

19

50;

NU

NEZ

19

52;

CHA

ND

OLA

19

59

48

K

RIS

HN

ASW

AM

Y a

nd

R.

1949

54

D

E W

ET

195

4; S

ING

H a

nd

GoD

WA

RD

19

60;

PRIT

-CH

ARD

an

d G

oUL

D

1964

; TA

TEO

KA

19

65

72

}AN

AK

I-AM

MA

L (i

n D

AR

LIN

GTO

N a

nd

WY

LIE

195

5)

18

BuR

TON

19

42

RA

MM

AN

et

al.

1959

18

TA

TEO

KA

19

65

CH

EN a

nd

Hsu

196

1; G

uPT

A

1963

40

A

vDU

LOV

19

28;

LAR

SEN

19

63

GuP

TA

19

63

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20:

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TAB

LE

I

Show

ing

the

chro

mos

ome

num

bers

, lo

calit

y an

d da

te

of

colle

ctio

11

of

plan

ts

inve

stig

ated

.

Tri

be -

Spe

cies

AN

DR

OP

OG

ON

EA

E

Chr

ysop

ogon

auc

heri

(B

oiss

.) S

tapf

Loc

alit

y an

d da

te

of

coll

ecti

on

Kar

achi

, C

entr

al

Lab

s.,

Cam

pus,

11

-4-6

7

Cym

bopo

gon

;war

ancu

sa (

Jone

s) S

chul

t. K

arac

hi,

Cen

tral

L

abs.

, C

ampu

s,

15-4

-67

Dic

hant

hium

ann

ulat

um (

For

ssk.

) S

tapf

K3r

achi

, N

azim

abad

, 5-

4-67

Las

iuru

s hi

rsut

us (

For

ssk.

) B

oiss

.

AE

LUR

OP

OD

EA

E

Ael

urop

us l

agop

oide

s (L

.) T

rin.

Kar

achi

, U

nive

rsit

y C

ampu

s,

17-1

-67

Kar

achi

, D

umlo

ti,

17-4

-67

1:: 1A " ... Po.

11

LO*

10 9*

c:: .g "' -~ " > c:: >-

< 2n

40*

40

50*

~ 0 ·;; " ... Po. 11

10

10

20

30

28

c:: .g "' -~

Aut

hori

ty

... > c:: >-

< 2n

MEH

RA

et

al.

1962

20

RA

GHAV

AN a

nd A

RORA

195

8; G

uPT

A 1

965

CELA

RIER

et

al.

1958

; M

EHRA

et

al.

1962

C

ELA

RIE

R e

t al

. 19

58;

MEH

RA

et

al.

1962

C

ELA

RIE

R e

t al

. 19

58

20

CEL

AR

IER

and

H.

1957

; C

ELA

RIE

R a

nd M

. 19

59;

SHA

RMA

an

d J.

19

59;

BoRG

AO

NK

ER

and

DE

W

ET

1960

; D

E W

ET

, M

EHRA

and

BoR

GA

ON

KER

19

61;

BoRG

AO

NK

ER a

nd S

. 19

62;

DE

WET

et

al.

1963

; H

ARL

AN

et

al.

1964

; R

oY

et a

l. 19

65

30

DE

WE

T,

MEH

RA a

nd B

oRG

AO

NK

ER 1

961

40

CEL

AR

IER

an

d H

. 19

57;

HA

RLA

N

et

al.

1958

; Bo

RGA

ON

KER

an

d D

E

WE

T

1960

; D

E

WE

T,

MEH

RA

and

BoRG

AO

NK

ER

1961

; Bo

RGA

ON

KER

an

d S.

19

62;

BoRG

AO

NK

ER a

nd D

E W

ET

196

3;

DE

W

ET

and

RICH

ARD

SON

19

63;

DE

W

ET

et

111.

1963

; Bo

RGA

ON

KER

an

d D

E

WE

T

1964

; H

ARL

AN

et

al.

1964

60

CE

LARI

ER

and

HA

RLA

N

1957

; D

E

WE

T,

MEH

RA

and

BoRG

AO

NK

ER

1961

; M

EHRA

19

61

CELA

RIER

19

57

56

CEL

AR

IER

19

57

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20:

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TAB

LE

I

Show

ing

he

chro

mos

ome

num

bers

, lo

calit

y an

d da

te

of

colle

ctio

n of

pl

ants

in

vest

igat

ed.

Tri

be

-S

peci

es

Loc

alit

y an

d

dat

e o

f co

llec

tion

ER

AG

RO

ST

EA

E

Dac

tylo

cten

ium

aeg

ypti

um (

L.)

Bea

uv.

Kar

achi

, D

um

loti

, 12

-8-6

7

Ele

usin

e in

dica

(L

.) G

aert

n.

Era

gros

tis p

ilosa

(L

.) B

eauv

.

E.

tene

lla

(L.)

Bea

uv.

CH

LO

RID

EA

E

Chl

oris

bar

bata

Sw

.

SPO

RO

BO

LE

AE

Spor

obol

us m

argi

natu

s H

och

st.

Uro

chon

dra

setu

losa

(T

rin.

) H

ub

b.

Kar

achi

, D

um

loti

, 12

-8-6

7

Kar

achi

, C

entr

al

Lab

s.,

Cam

pu

s,

27-4

-67

Kar

achi

, U

nive

rsit

y C

amp

us,

17

-4-6

7

Kar

achi

, N

azim

abad

, 27

-3-6

7

Kar

achi

, M

alir

, 29

-4-6

7

Kar

achi

, D

um

loti

, 22

-5-6

7

Ind

us

Del

ta,

Gh

aro

, 31

-8-6

8

c::

c; .g ..

:ll -~

... ... p..

GJ >

c:: >-<

n 2n

9*

18

10*

10

Ca5

0*

9*

20*

14*

c:: ;;

.g -~

.. -~

GJ

~

Au

tori

ty

... p..

>

c:: >-<

n 2n

10

-G

oUL

D

1960

20

TH

OM

AS

(in

DA

RLI

NG

TON

an

d W

YL

IE

1955

) 36

S

ee

LoV

E

and

Lo

vE

19

61

40

TA

TEO

KA

19

65

48

AV

DU

LOV

19

31;

}AN

AK

I-A

MM

AL

(in

D

AR

LIN

GTO

N

and

WY

LIE

19

55);

LA

RSE

N

1963

9 -

Gou

LD

19

60;

CH

EN a

nd

Hsu

196

2;

SIN

GH

19

65

18

-Su

BR

AM

AN

YA

M

and

K

AM

BLE

19

67

-18

S

ee L

ov

E a

nd

Lo

vE

196

1 36

M

OFF

ET

an

d H

. 19

49;

LAR

SEN

196

3; M

EHR

A 1

963

40

0H

NO

an

d T

ATE

OK

A

1953

; TA

TEO

KA

19

55

60

BoW

DEN

an

d S

ENN

196

2; T

ATE

OK

A 1

965

10

-C

HEN

an

d H

su

1962

20

LA

RSE

N

1963

; TA

TEO

KA

19

65

20

-

CH

EN

and

Hsu

196

2 20

A

VD

ULO

V

1928

4

0

}AN

AK

I-AM

MA

L (i

n D

AR

LIN

GTO

N a

nd

WY

LIE

195

5)

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CHROMOSOME STUDIES IN GRASSES 107

of 6:3:1) for 24 hours, stored in 75% alcohol and later squashed in acetocarmine. In 10 species somatic counts were made in root cells which were obtained from the transplanted plants. In a few cases roots were taken from the seeds grown on moist filter paper in petri dishes at room temperature (25-28 °C). After the usual process of dehydration and paraffin embedding, blocks were prepared and 10 1..1.

thick sections were cut by microtome. Iron haematoxylin was used as the stain. In 2 species counts were made in both root cells as well as PMCs.

Camera lucida drawings were made at a magnification of approx. 2000 X in all the species. Plants were identified after BaR (1960) and }AFRI (1966). Voucher specimens are deposited in the Central Laboratories Herbarium (CLH), P.C.S.I.R. Karachi.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The occurrence of polyploidy is quite indicative from the previous lite­rature supported by the results of the present investigation as provided in the Table I. It will be evident that no less than 9 species, including our observa­tions, show signs of polyploidy, 3 of them are based on basic number 9 (Echinochloa colonum, Setaria tomentosa, Eleusine indica), 4 on the basic number 10 (Cymbopogon jawarancusa, Dichanthium annulatum, Eragrostis pilosa, Chloris barbata), 1 on the basic number 12 (Brachiaria ramosa), and 1 finally with polyploidy on both the numbers 9 and 10 (Dactyloctenium ae­gyptium). In Cymbopogon jawarancusa, the chromosome numbers indicate the presence of two chromosome races, a diploid and a tetraploid race, on the same basic number (n=10, 2n=40). In Sporobolus marginatus also the presence of two races, on diploid level, was recorded but with different basic numbers (n=9, 2n=20).

TABLE II

Chromosome numbers counted Number of forms

n 2n (species, races)

14 1 9 18 8

10 20 5 12 1

34 2 40 3

50 (c 50) 2

Including the chromosome races mentioned above the chromosome numbers found in the present investigation may be summarized as given in the Table II. It is very suggestive that in six of the species, the gametic

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108 BAQUAR and MANZOOR SAEED

Figs. 1-22. - Showing gametic and somatic chromosome numbers of the plants investigated.

Fig. 1. - Brachiaria ramosa n = 12 (Met. I) ,. 2. - Cenchrus pennisetiformis 2n = 34 (Met. ) ,. 3. - Cenchrus setigerus 2n = 34 (Met. ) ,. 4. - Echinochloa colonum n= 9 (Met. I) ,. 5. - Panicum antidotale n= 9 (Met. I) ,. 6. - Paspalidium geminatum n= 9 (Met. I) ,. 7. - Paspalum scrobiculatttm 2n = 40 (Met. ) » 8. - Setaria tomentosa n= 9 (Met. I) ,. 9. - Chrysopogon aucheri n = 10 (Met. I) ,. 10. - Cymbopogon iwarancusa n = 10 (Met. I) ,. 11. - Cymbopogon ;warancusa 2n = 40 (Met. ) » 12. - Dichantium annulatum 2n = 40 (Met. ) » 13. - Lasirius hirsutus n= 9 (Met. I) ,. 14. - Aeluropus lagopoides 2n =50 (Met. ) ,. 15. - Dactyloctenium aegyptium n= 9 (Met. I) » 16. - Eleusine indica 2n = 18 (Met. ) ,. 17. - Eragrostis pilosa n = 10 (Met. I) ,. 18. - Eragrostis tenella n = 10 (Met. I) ,. 19. - Chloris barbata 2n = Ca50 (Met. ) » 20. - Sporobolous marginatus n= 9 (Met. I) ,. 21. - Sporobolos marginatus 2n = 20 (Met. ) » 22. - Urochondra setulosa 2n = 14 (Met. )

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CHROMOSOME STUDIES IN GRASSES 109

I t~\'11.- -,. .. tl ~ ,~,··( ''!'!Jt.• • •• •••• ., ••• _,_, :·· • ••• c ~ ~ ,, ., ... , . ••• ... ~~~ ,, •

1 ''!. s. 2 --· \ 4 5 -=-- 3 ,, , .. ~•,.., ••• _,. ~ ''~v ,,, _, -.... ~, .. '= •••• ,-·,.'~~ '-' •• ... ,_ ... '~ ..... 8 •'#:'' \ '' ~ ,~ ,, ,,~ ••• :•. - ' ••• ' .~,' ..,

Is \ _ ..... ~ '7 .,9 -r.-=-· ~' •' ·1o 11

"' •••• .,..,. .. ,, ... ,~ •• ,~ ,,..,, ,J, •• '- J,J)' .... I ,.....,.. .... .J ,, •

'--'~}I\ 13 J ,t' (; ,,., ~\7"'1 ~ 1!~ "~ - .,, ~'~""J, .::· ;; ·~~J., , .... ~· '''"" -~ .J, 12 • 15 I I " ' ' 16 ) - s 1,14

-,,,,

, ~' •••• ~'~-..... , ' ,, ,f,u.• .. 17 ::;\ ,,_ ••• 1-;

I ltl' '~ ••• ~·' ,, _ _,

~. J\; ' ,_ ••• '~~ p,, ·--~··-'

-<Ill ..... 20 '"'21 ,. . ''•,•"' "'19 '22 • 18

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110 BAQUAR and MANZOOR SAEED

number reported here represents the basic number of polyploid series, in whiCh only higher numbers were known earlier (viz. the number 9 in Echinochloa colonum, Setaria tomentosa, Dactyloctenium aegyptium, the number 10 in Eragrostis pilosa and 12 in Brachiaria ramosa; also the number 9 in Lasiurus hirsutus, in which earlier onJly n=28 and 2n=56 were known). Though the material presently investigated is insufficient yet it is worth considering whether this is an indication that the West Pakistan flora contains especially primitive forms.

REFERENCES

(References present in DARLINGTON and WYLIE (1955) and LovE and LovE (1961) hac.re not been included in the list given below) .

.ABBASI Z. and IsLAM A. S., 1968. - Chromosome numbers in two species of Cenchrus. Abst. 20th Pak. Sci. Con£. p. 9.

BoR N. L., 1960. - Grasses of Burma, Ceylon, India and Pakistan. Perg:unon Press, Oxford. BoRGAONKER D. S. and DE WET J. M. J., 1960. - A Cytogenetical study of the hybrid between

Dichanthium annulatum and Dichantium fecundum. Phyton (B.A.), 15: 137-144. -, 1964. - Cytogenetical study of hybrids between Dichanthium annulatum and D. fecundum.

III. Phyton (B. A.), 21: 55-60. BowDEN W. M. and SENN H. A., 1962. -Chromosome numbers in 28 grass genera from South

America. Canad. Jour. Bot., 40: 1115-1124. CHEN C. and Hsu C., 1961. - Cytogenetical study on Taiwan grasses. I. Tribe Paniceae. Bot.

Bull. Acad. Sin. Ser., 2.2: 101-110. DARLINGTON C. D. and WYLIE A. P., 1955. - Chromosome atlas of flowering plants. London. DE LISLE D. G., 1963. - Taxonomy and distribution of the genus Cenchrus. Iowa St. Jour.

Sci., 37: 259-351. DE WET J. M. J., MEHRA K. L. and BoRGAONKER D. S., 1961. - Chromosome association in

Dichanthium hybrids. Cytologia, 26(1): 78-82. DE WET J. M. J. and RICHARDSON W. L., 1963. - Morphological variation and species rela­

tionship in Dichanthium. Phyton, 20: 19-28. GuPTA P. K., 1963. - Meiotic studies in some members of the tribe Paniceae. Curr. Sci., 32:

180-181. GuPTA B. K., 1965. - Chromosome numbers in some species of Cymbopogon. Proc. Ind. Acad.

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SUMMARY

Chromosome studies in grasses of West Pakistan were initiated with a view to study the role of polyploidy in the evolution of species in this region. The present work comprises the chromosome numbers of 20 indigenous species, out of which counts for the following 12 species are new records or different from the previous findings including the report of Urochondra as a genus: Brachiaria ramosa (L.) Stapf ( n = 12), Echinochloa colonum (L.) Link (n =9), Setaria tomentosa (Roxb.) Kunth (n=9), Chrysopogon aucheri (Boiss.) Stapf (n = 10), Cymbopogon ;warancusa (Jones) Schult. (2n=40), Lasiurus hirsutus (Forssk.) Boiss. (n=9), Aeluropus lago­poides (L.) Trin. (2n=50), Dactyloctenium aegyptium (L.) Beauv. (n=9), Eragrostis pilosa (L.) Beauv. (n=10), Chloris barbata Sw. (2n=Ca50), Sporobolus marginatus Hochst (n=9, 2n=20) and Urochondra setulosa (Trin.) Hubb. (2n= 14).

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