KARYOTYPE VARIATION AND GENOMIC CHARACTERIZATION IN FIVE MONOCOTYLEDONOUS MANGROVE ASSOCIATE FROM ORISSA COAST

Chromosome number and karyotype analysis of five monocot mangrove associates from Dhamra and Paradeep coast of Orissa revealed 2n=48 in Porteresia coarctata; 2n=22 in Crinum defixum and Cryptocoryne ciliata and 2n=20 in Asparagus racemosus var. javanica and Cyperus cephalotes. Total chromosome length varied from 42.44 µm in A. racemosus var. javanica to 93.86 µm in C. defixum. Significant variation of chromosome volumes were also recorded among the species. The 4C DNA content varied significantly from 47.15 pg in C. defixum to 6.31pg in C. cephalotes. A positive significant correlation between the chromosome volume and 4C nuclear DNA content among five different species was revealed. The genome size was around 1,545 mbp in C. cephalotes to 4,074 mbp in P. coarctata with a highest size (11,551 mbp) in C. defixum that suggests the high repetitive DNA sequences in the Crinum with highest chromosome length and volume of this species.