The pachytene chromosomes of Ipomoea crassicaulis.

The detailed morphology of the pachytene chromosomes and microsporogenesis have been studied in a diploid (2 n=30) American species, Ipomoea crassicaulis (Bth) B. L. Robinson. Idiogram of the pachytene chromosomes is presented and taking advantage of the extreme precision that pachytene analysis can lend, karyological characteristics of the haploid complement have been worked out in detail and individual chromosomes are identified. The course of meiosis was normal and over ninety five percent of pollen were found stainable. The urgent need for extending similar studies to other taxa in this economically important genus for unravelling phyletic relationships has been stressed.