Biology and Agriculture Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre Trombay, Bombay-400 085.
Fresh cuttings of a gamma ray induced five petal mutant in perennial Portulaca were treated with 0.05 per cent colchicine. Tetraploids were identified by their extra large flowers, bigger stomata and pollen size. Further, by cytological studies of PMC, the clone was established as tetraploid with n = 18 compared to n = 9 in the original multipetal control and the five petal mutant.
The tetraploid with its early flowering and extra large flowers is of much ornamental value.
