Abstract
In two interspecific hybrids of Luffa, i.e., L. acutangula x L. graveolens and L. echinata x L. graveolens, various types of chromosome associations, from univalents to quadrivalents were observed. The hydrid L. echinata x L. graveolens showed a much higher frequency of univalents than the other hybrid, but the pairing data of both indicate partial homology among most of the chromosomes of the three species. The study of these F1 hybrids has been utilised for establishing the phylogenetic relationship among the various species and to trace the trend of evolution in the genus Luffa. The two wild species, L. graveolens and L. echinata, are closely related, whereas, L. graveolens is more distantly related to L. acutangula than to L. echinata. It has also been concluded that dioecism in L. echinata is a derived feature, established after diverging from the monoecious prime species L. graveolens.
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This research has been financed in part by a grant made by the United States Department of Agriculture under PL 480.
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Dutt, B., Roy, R.P. Cytogenetic investigations in Cucurbitaceae I. Interspecific hybridization in Luffa . Genetica 42, 139–156 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00154845
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00154845