Polyploidy and vitamin C inEmblica officinalis gaertn

Summary

Emblica officinalis collected from various parts of India was found to have chromosome number 2n=98=14x and is therefore a much higher polyploid than the one reported on by Perry which is a tetraploid 2n=28. Cultivated forms ofEmblica officinalis have variable numbers ranging from 2n=98 to 2n=104 and these have larger fruits. A comparative analysis of Vitamin C content of wild and cultivated varieties is given. Ascorbic acid content is found to be directly proportional to the size of the fruit and fruit size is correlated with the presence of a few extra chromosomes in the already high polyploid.