Cytomorphological Characterization in 28 Species of Papilionaceae from Indian Cold Deserts

Present cytomorphological investigation in Papilionaceous members from cold desert region of Kinnaur (India) record the first ever chromosome count in Astragalus malacophyllus (n=8), A. strobiliferus (n=8), Campylotropis eriocarpa (n=11), Colutea nepalensis (n=8), Indigofera himalayensis (n=8), Trigonella pubescens (n=8), Vicia rigidula (n=12), V. tenera (n=7) and in variety nutans of Desmodium elegans (n=11) at world level and in Caragana gerardiana (n=8), Desmodium racemosum (n=11), Medicago falcata (n=8), and Piptanthus nepalensis (n=9) at India level. New or variable chromosome counts have been recorded for four species named Indigofera heterantha, Oxytropis mollis, Trigonella emodi, and Vicia pallida. Based on x=8, in Indigofera heterantha existence of intraspecific diploid (n=8) and hexaploid (n=24) cytotypes have been reported. In this species, the diploid and hexaploid individuals can be distingiushed from each other on the basis of vegetative and floral characters. Further meiotic course in majority of species was observed perfectly regular which resulting into high pollen fertility. However, 11 species depicted the phenomenon of cytomixis of inter PMCs chromatin transfer which consequences various irregular meiotic products yielded unstained/sterile and fertile pollen grains of variable sizes.