Cytogenetics of Lathyrus palustris, a natural autohexaploid.

American as well as British forms of the perennial plant Lathyrus palustris have 2n = 42 chromosomes with one group of 6 long submetacentric chromosomes, two groups of 6 medium-long subacrocentric chromosomes, three groups of 6 medium-long to medium-short submetacentric to subacrocentric chromosomes, and one group of 6 medium-short metacentric chromosomes. One haploid complement measures 45.8 μm at somatic metaphase. At meiotic first metaphase both forms show extensive multivalent formation. In 50 metaphase I cells of one plant of the British form there were 51 ring hexavalents, 80 chain and open-branched hexavalents of various forms, 2 quinquivalents, 41 ring quadrivalents, 58 chain quadrivalents, 20 branched quadrivalents of various forms, 1 trivalent, 128 ring bivalents, 280 open bivalents, and 9 univalents. It is concluded that L. palustris is most likely a natural autohexaploid with frequent multivalent pairing, many points of pairing initiation, several partner exchanges per multivalent, and many interstitial chiasmata. It may well be the first fully documented true natural autohexaploid reported. Pollen fertility was 56.2% and seed set 37%, apparently sufficient for a perennial plant species.