Chromosome Elimination and Phenotypic Variability in a Trispecific Nicotiana Hybrid

Abstract
The F1 plants of 3 species cross (Nicotiana glutinosa X N. trigonophylla) X N. megalosiphon exhibited a high amount of interplant morphological variation. Cytological analysis of some of the hybrids showed that 1 to 11 chromosomes were eliminated in different plants. Spore formation was irregular, resulting in low pollen fertility, and the hybrids were completely sterile. It was assumed that the elimination of chromosomes was random, which took place in early stages of embryo development and that the loss of different chromosomes was responsible for the variability observed in the trispecific progeny.