Somatic chromosome analysis in four species of grain amaranth

Somatic chromosome analysis on 12 cultivars/genotypes belonging to four domesticated species (Amaranthus hypochondriacus, A. caudatus, A. edulis and A. cruentus) of grain amaranths revealed that the chromosome number in 10 genotypes belonging to species A. hypochondriacus, A. caudatus and A. edulis is same with 2n = 2x = 32 while in the remaining two accessions of A. cruentus species, it was found to be 34 chromosomes (2n = 2x = 34). The somatic chromosomes, in general, were short and the position of centromere in individual chromosomes was not very clear. Wide variation was noticed with reference to total chromatin length and volume of the haploid complements among the four species of grain amaranths. The chromosomes of A. edulis were comparatively longer over that of other three species.