Summary
The South American wild potato species Solanum commersonii Dun. exists as two subspecies, subsp. commersonii and subsp. malmeanum (Bitter) Hawkes and Hjerting, and as both diploid and triploid cytotypes. The two subspecies were completely cross fertile but there were reciprocal differences in the number of seeds set per berry and the mean seed weight. Crosses between diploids and colchicine-induced autotetraploids yielded only a few seeds per berry, but 16 of the 18 germinated seeds were triploid or nearly so. Such a high proportion of triploids is unusual for such crosses in potatoes. Some triploids has a high percentage of stainable pollen. The origin of naturally occurring triploids is discussed in the context of 2n gametes, a triploid block, and endosperm balance numbers.
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Tarn, T.R., Hawkes, J.G. Cytogenetic studies and the occurrence of triploidy in the wild potato species Solanum commersonii Dun. . Euphytica 35, 293–302 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00028567
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00028567