SEXUAL REPRODUCTIVE EFFICIENCY OF ARTEMISIA SIEVERSIANA ABOUNDING LADAKH (TRANS- HIMALAYAN) REGION IN INDIA

Abstract

Artemisia sieversiana Ehrh. ex Willd. is an annual temperate species growing in theHimalayan belt including the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India. The wildpopulations of the species occurring at high altudunal ranges of Ladakh region of thestate have been analysed for their cytological details and reproductive efficiency.Plant have a somatic chromosome count of 2n = 18 revealing it to be a diploid speciesbased on x = 9, the most common base number in genus Artemisia L. Meiotic eventsare normal leading to high pollen viability. The species exhibits high sexualreproductive efficiency with number of florets per inflorescence averaging 121.9which is much higher than the number reported for most of the Artemisia speciesincluding the one under discussion. The standard cytological composition leads tostable genetic system which impacts the reproductive efficiency of the species. Thisstable genetic system along with large pollen production and high seed set depictsthe stable nature of the species.