Meiotic studies of interspecific Lachenalia hybrids and their parents

The genus Lachenalia Jacq.f. ex Murray is endemic to South Africa and Namibia. These bulbous plants are used in a breeding programme for pol plants at ARC-Roodeplaat. Several authors have attempted to divide the genus into groups or subgenera. However, these sub-divisions are not very useful for breeding purposes. The present study of six interspecific hybrids and their parents was undertaken on chromosome association and chiasma frequency , using meiosis to draw conclusions about their re relationship. All species and consequently all hybrids used in this study have a basic chromosome number of x = 7. The study of the meiotic behaviour of the interspecific hybrids of L. aloides, L. orchioides, L. reflexa and L. viridiflora revealed that these species are very closely related and that they can be grouped together, especially for breeding purposes. The grouping of L. orchioides, together with L. aloides, L. reflexa and L. viridiflora differs from all other attempts to divide the genus Lachenalia into groups or subgenera. Further studies are needed to determine whether L. mutabilis, which has always been grouped with L. orchioides, should also be grouped with these species