Cytomorphological studies of genus Saxifraga L. from Western Himalaya

Cytomorphological studies have been carried out for analysing the cyto-genetic diversity in 14 populations covering 5 species belonging to the genus Saxifraga L. (fam. Saxifragaceae) from Western Himalaya. New intra-specific cytotypes in Saxifraga diversifolia Wall. ex Ser. (n=8 and n=16), S. filicaulis Wall. ex Ser. (n=8) and S. siberica Linn. (n=16) are added on world-wide basis. Cytotypes of S. flagellaris Willd. (n=8), S. ligulata Wall. (n=17) and S. siberica Linn. (n=8) although worked out earlier from other countries are being reported for the first time from India. Further, comparison of the different cytotypes studied at present for Saxifraga diversifolia Wall. ex Ser and S. siberica Linn. show significant variation in their morphology, and also increased size for morphphological features in the polyploids. The course of meiosis has been observed to be abnormal in all the populations of S. filicaulis Wall. ex Ser., S. flagellaris Willd. and S. siberica Linn., but in S. diversifolia Wall. ex Ser. it exhibited patterns of normal to abnormal behaviour in different populations.