Potentiality of Colchicine in Induction of Polyploids in Jasminum sambac (L.) Aiton cv. Ramanathapuram Gundumalli

The study was commenced in a compulsion toaccomplish a successful approach in developing a commercially viable polyploidy variety in Jasminum sambac. Rooted cuttings of J. sambac cv. Ramanathapuram Gundumalli were treated with different concentrations of colchicine (0.05%, 0.10%, 0.15%, 0.20% and 0.25%) for 48 hours. The survival and sprouting rates for the different treatments were determined after 45 days of treatment and the phenotypic and stomatal characteristics of the treated plants were recorded. Colchicine treatments registered reduction in plant height (76.00 cm to 27.33 cm), internodal length (3.88 cm to 2.64 cm) and number of flowering cymes per plant (56.33 to 20.44) in comparison with the control. In comparison to untreated plants, polyploidy-induced plants developed leaves with larger stomata and lower stomatal frequency.