Meiotic Studies, Pollen Fertility and Seed Set of <i>Trillium govanianum</i>, an Endangered Endemic Plant Species of the Himalaya

Abstract

Detailed knowledge about the meiotic behavior of threatened plant species is crucial to develop successful conservation strategies. Here we provide a detailed account of the male meiotic behavior of Trillium govanianum Wall ex. D. Don an endangered endemic medicinal plant species of the Himalaya. We collected the plant material from the Bangus valley of the Kashmir Himalaya. The species showed chromosome number n=2x= 10, which is the first gametophytic report for this species. The pollen fertility was found to be in the range of 88-90%. The reduced fertility was due to the meiotic abnormalities such as chromatin stickiness, a late disjunction of bivalents, chromatin bridges, formation of laggards, and polysporads with micronuclei. The seed set was found to be 65.85%. The reduced seed set might be attributed to the presence of various meiotic abnormalities observed.

Meiotic Bottlenecks Compromises Reproductive Success by Impairing Pollen Fertility and Seed Set in <i>Swertia thomsonii</i> C. B. Clarke—An Important Endemic Medicinal Herb of Western Himalaya

“…Chromosomal stickiness observed in the present study was either mild or intense. Chromosomal stickiness was reported by the number of workers in various flowering plants (Tripathi and Kumar 2010, Kaur and Singhal 2012, 2014, Rana et al 2013, Rashid et al 2021. Late disjunction of chromosomes was also observed in the present study, which might be due to abnormal spindle formation.…”

Meiotic Studies, Pollen Fertility and Seed Set of <i>Actaea kashmiriana</i>, an Endemic Medicinal Plant Species of Kashmir Himalaya

“…Aberrant meiotic process due to irregular spindle activity, chromatin transfer among neighboring PMCs, and chromatin stickiness lead to the formation of abnormal sporads and reduced pollen fertility in plants (Risso-Pascotto et al 2005, Kumar and Singhal 2008, 2012, Rashid et al 2021). An abnormal meiotic course causes disturbances in microsporogenesis resulting in pollen sterility and affecting the reproductive success of the species negatively in the wild (Lattoo et al 2006, Kumar and Singhal 2008, Kumar 2010).…”

Existence of Two Cytotypes of <i>Peganum harmala</i> L. in Kashmir Himalaya and Ladakh Trans Himalaya of India

“…The Indian Himalayan Region (IHR), lying between 21 57″-37 50″N and 72 40″-97 25″E, is affluent with the vast diversity of medicinal plants (Rashid et al 2021). Out of the 12 states that fall under the IHR, Kashmir Himalaya and Trans Himalaya are situated on the north-western boundary of India.…”