Meiotic chromosome and pollen morphological studies of polyploid Cucumis species

summary Meiotic chromosome studies of polyploid Cucumis species revealed the presence of bivalent chromosome configurations in the tetraploid C. aculeatus and C. zeyheri and hexaploid C. figarei, while a maximum of ten quadrivalents were observed in pollen mother cells of a tetraploid species, C. heptadactylus.Allotetraploidy was not accompanied by an increase in the number of pores per pollen grain, but the autotetraploid and hexaploid species showed a relatively high percentage of 4-porate pollen. The pollen fertility of the tetraploid species was normal.Contribution from the Department of Horticulture and Department of Agronomy. Supported by the Colorado State University Experiment Station and published as Scientific Series Paper No 2403.Former Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Horticulture (present address, 1030 Sanders St., Auburn, Alabama 36830 USA) and Professor, Department of Agronomy, respectively.