Meiotic Behaviour and Morphological Variation in Chrysanthemum Paludosum Under Different Light Conditions

ABSTRACT The present investigation was undertaken to study morphological variation and meiotic behaviour in Chrysanthemum paludosum grown under different light conditions. The work forms a part of the M.Sc. dissertation carried out during November-2023 to March-2024. Plants were grown in pots under full sunlight, control (normal light), and shady light conditions. Morphological parameters such as plant height, number of branches, and number of flowers were recorded and statistically analyzed using mean and standard deviation. Cytological investigations were restricted to meiosis in pollen mother cells (PMCs) using conventional acetocarmine (2%) squash techniques. Meiotic abnormalities such as chromosomal bridges at anaphase I and laggard chromosomes at anaphase II were observed predominantly in sunlight-grown plants. Student’s t-test analysis revealed significant variation in flowering behaviour under different light conditions (p < 0.05). The study demonstrates that light intensity influences both morphological traits and meiotic stability in C. paludosum and highlights the continued importance of classical cytology in evaluating genomic behaviour in ornamental plants. Key words Chrysanthemum paludosum; Meiosis; Light conditions; Chromosomal abnormalities; Morphology; Cytogenetics