Meiosis in triploid Solanum tuberosum L.

Summary Meiosis in triploid Solanum tuberosum was studied in plants that originated from crosses between tetraploids and diploids, the latter being mainly dihaploids.Association of chromosomes in first metaphase was regular, being as expected for autotriploid material. In first anaphase lagging chromosomes occurred that mostly divided precociously into their chromatids, the amount of lagging chromosomes being more or less proportional to the average number of univalents at M I. The A I distribution of chromosomes over the poles fitted a normal distribution.In the second meiotic division also lagging chromosomes were observed. During this division disturbances occurred resulting in cells with more or less the somatic chromosome number. The origin of this aberration is discussed, together with the relation between meiotic behaviour and pollen stainability.