Failure of chromosome pairing in a probable Desmodium intortum × D. sandwicense hybrid

Abstract

Failure of chromosome pairing was noted in some plants in the progeny of a putative hybrid derivative of Desmodium intortum and D. sandwicense. Pairing failure resulted in abnormal tetrad formation, the number of cells in each tetrad ranging from one to eight. Pollen stainability was poor but varied considerably, even within a single flower.

Seed set in asynaptics was poor or nil. A sample of 30 seedlings derived from a single asynaptic parent was entirely euploid; a single tetraploid plant probably occurred following the fusion of two restitution nuclei.