Cytogenetic study of an interspecific cross of Nicotiana debneyi X N. umbratica.

Interspecific F1 hybrids of Nicotiana debneyi Domin (2n=48) and N. umbratica Burbidge (2n=46), both belonging to the section Suaveolentes, showed a high degree of meiotic chromosome pairing. Two of the five F2 plants obtained exhibited chromosome mosaicism. The first colchiploid generation (C1) had the expected chromosome number of 2n=94 while C2 showed 2n=88, a loss of three pairs of chromosomes. This same chromosome number continued in further colchiploid generations, followed up to C5, except for a few plants in C3 which showed chromosome mosaicism. The F1 phenotype was stable through C1 to C5 and fertility was normal in colchiploids through all generations in spite of the loss of three pairs of chromosomes and chromosome mosaicism. This stability and fertility apparently reflect the tolerance of the genomes to the genetic adjustment of chromosome complements which is believed to be associated with the originally polyploid nature of the parental species and the chromosome doubling brought about in the amphidiploids.