Karyomorphological Observations in Desmodium Desv. and Its Related Taxa of Nepal

Abstract

Chromosome number and karyomorphology of some species of the genus Desmodium Desv. and its related taxa, viz. D. concinnum DC. var. retusum (D. Don) H. Ohashi, D. heterocarpon (L.) DC. var. heterocarpon, D. laxiflorum DC., D. microphyllum (Thunb.) DC., D. podocarpum subsp. oxyphyllum var. mandschuricum Maxim., D. podocarpum DC. subsp. podocarpum and D. triflorum (L.) DC., Butea minor Buch.-Ham. ex Baker, Crotalaria cytisoides Roxb. ex DC. and Piptanthus nepalensis (Hook.) D. Don collected from different climatic regions of Nepal were observed. The basic numbers of chromosomes in Desmodium species was 11. It was recorded to be 9 in B. minor and P. nepalensis, and 8 in C. cytisoides. The chromosomes of the genus Desmodium were mostly medium and small in length throughout except in D. podocarpum. In D. podocarpum, B. minor, C. cytisoides and P. nepalensis chromosomes were large and medium. Desmodium Desv., Butea Koen ex Roxb., Crotalaria Linn. and Piptanthus D. Don. belonging to the family Papilionaceae Giseke. show remarkable diversity in morphological characters. Twenty-six species of Desmodium, 2 species of Butea, 19 species of Crotalaria and 1 species of Piptanthus are distributed in different geographical areas of Nepal (Press et al. 2000, Anonymous 1986). Piptanthus nepalensis is a cold temperate and sub-alpine plant. Remaining 3 genera are widely distributed in tropics and sub-tropics of the world. Economically the plants under study come under one of the most important families of flowering plants. Fourteen species of the family are endemic to Nepal (Shrestha and Joshi 1996). The chromosome counts and/or karyomorphology of some species of the genera under present study have been reported previously (

IAPT/IOPB chromosome data 12

“…The current report agrees with the previous one of 2n = 22 (Manandhar & Sakya, 2003) Lespedeza cuneata G. Don ▼ n = 10, CHN. India, Himachal Pradesh, Kangra, Patti, 32°13′ N, 76°10′ E, 900 m, on moist and shady places, 04 Nov 2010, Savita Rani SR 27816 (PUN 55200) [Fig.…”

Studies of Meiotic Behaviors in Some Taxa of the Nepalese Papilionaceae

“…The chromosome number n=11 is confi rmed in the present investigation for the genus Desmodium. This report tallies with the previous reports n=11 or/and 2n=22 by several authors (Ranjit 1978, Sanjappa and Bhatt 1985, Yeh et al 1986, Bairiganjan and Patnaik 1989, Kumari and Bir 1990, Kumar and Kuriachan 1990, Jahan et al 1994, Gao and Zou 1995, Manandhar and Sakya 2003a, 2003b. However, n=22, 2n=44 have been reported by Manandhar and Sakya (2003a) in D. multifl orum seems to be the tetraploid one.…”

“…It could be that the taxa investigated here is a diploid one with basic number x=8. Piptanthus nepalensis reported with n=9 presently confi rms the earlier reports n=8 by Malakar (1978) and 2n=18 by Berger et al (1958) and Manandhar and Sakya (2003b). It could be that the taxa, reported in this investigation, is a diploid one.…”

New chromosome number reports in some polypetalous species from District Kangra (Himachal Pradesh), India

“…1L) is reported for the fi rst time from India and is in line with the earlier report of 2n = 22 (Manandhar and Sakya 2003) from outside India.…”