干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

Meiotic investigations carried out from the cold desert regions of Ladakh (India) record the first ever chromosome count (2n = 32) and cytomixis in Clematis ladakhiana. The phenomenon of cytomixis involving chromatin transfer among 2-6 adjacent pollen mother cells (PMCs) through cytoplasmic channels was observed at different meiotic stages. The chromatin transfer resulted into hypo, hyperploid and enucleated PMCs. Although the frequency of meiocytes involved in chromatin transfer was low it induces abnormalities in chromatin and spindle activity, resulting into some pollen malformation in the form of variable sized fertile and sterile pollen grains. The Majority (86.60%) of the pollen grains observed were large sized, (86.60%) while (7.79%) are relatively small sized.