Possible Genetic Evidence of Somatic Segregation in Allium cepa L

REDUCTION in somatic nuclei has been noted in various plants and animals by a number of workers. This communication reports an instance in which both glossy and semi-glossy seed-stems were found on the same onion plant. Huskins 1 has reviewed many examples in the plant field, thus a full review will not be given here, but only a few more pertinent examples will be cited. Segregation and/or reduction in chromosome number was induced in cells of onion root tips which had been treated with 1–4 per cent sodium nucleate. Regular genetic segregation occurred with greater frequency than would be expected if the distribution of the chromosomes were a random process 2 . Onion bulbs stored at 5°–6° C. showed a reductional grouping 3 .