Inter-population chromosome variation in Artemisia nilagirica L.

Artemisia nilagirica L. (fam. Asteraceae), a widely distributed economically important plant exhibits lot of morphological variability and forms populations at different altitudes in the Jammu Province of J and K State, India. Present communication puts on record variability in chromosome counts in two populations of this species. The chromosome counts of the two populations varied in the way that a common base number could not be applied to them. One population named as Rajouri population shows 2n = 54, while the other named Jammu population revealed 2n = 34. The two populations when compared for their pollen viability and seed set show considerable differences. The Rajouri population was quite stable with high pollen viability and good, healthy seed set on open pollination, but Jammu population showed low pollen viability and seed set. Both these populations however showed a drastic reduction in seed set on unassisted selfing.