Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

Award Date

1974

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department / School

Biology

Abstract

The spider plant, Chlorophytum elatum R. Br., is a member of the lily family. It originated in south Africa and has spread all over the world as an ornamental plant. The plant occasionally sets seeds, but its propagation depends mainly on vegetative means. This method of reproduction provides the plant with chances or extended exposures to various environmental stresses, and genic and/or chromosomal mutations may result. In one of the Chlorophytum stocks maintained in the Botany greenhouse, Chen first noted that heterozygous inversion existed. Further cytological observation of another stock morphologically similar to the one Chen observed also revealed the occurrence of a similar abnormality, but the location of the aberration appeared to be different. In garlic, for which the bulb is the sole source of propagation, Konvicka and Levan found chromosome structural changes occurred among the morphologically different strains. A similar report was made by Gustafsson who observed the presence of different types of paracentric inversions in three hundred individuals of the plant A triplex longipes, (Chenopodiaceae). The purpose of this study was to analyze cytologically the similarities in chromosome aberrations between two morphologically different stocks of Chlorophytum elatum available in the Botany greenhouse.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Chromosomes

Plants, Ornamental

Plant tissue culture

Chlorophytum capense

Format

application/pdf

Number of Pages

40

Publisher

South Dakota State University

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