Abstract

M. I. Uguru and J. C. Onovo

Mitotic studies were carried out on fluted pumpkin (TELFAIRIA OCCIDENTALIS Hook. F.) lines collected from South East, South West, South South and North Central geopolitical zones of Nigeria where the crop is mainly cultivated. The results obtained revealed diploids (2n = 22), aneuploids (2n = 22 + 1), triploid (3n 3x = 33) and tetraploid (4n = 4x = 44) chromosome numbers among the cells investigated. About 4% of the 123 cells investigated were anueploids (2n = 22 + 1), 1.2% were triploid (3n = 33), 1.2%, tetraploid (4n 44). About 84% of the total cells investigated had 2n = 22. The implications of these polyploidized conditions on the evolutionary trend of the Nigerian fluted pumpkin lines were discussed.