SOMATIC CHROMOSOME NUMBER AND PLOIDY LEVEL IN THREE CURCUMA SPP. FROM BANGLADESH

Abstract

Three Curcuma L. species were investigated cytogenetically which represent
diversed staining pattern of heterochromatins in interphase nuclei and prophase
chromosomes with orcein staining. Curcuma longa and C. caesia were found to
possess 2n = 3x = 63 somatic chromosomes whereas 2n = 2x = 42 chromosome
number in C. zedoaria is reported for the first time from Bangladesh. Total
chromosome length recorded in C. longa, C. caesia and C. zedoaria were 145.08 ±
2.85 μm, 164.93 ± 4.29 μm and 97.78 ± 2.41 μm, respectively. This was the first
attempt to measure the length of the chromosomes for these species. The
experiment confirmed the basic chromosome number x = 21 with triploid
(C. longa, C. caesia) and diploid (C. zedoaria) Curcuma plants. Polyploidy could be
employed in the evolution and diversification of the genus Curcuma, which is an
essential factor to characterize the species of this genus.