I have observed a plant of family "Solanaceae" with variable number (5, 6 & 8) number of petals.
I think you meant to say that can different species within that solanaceae family have different petals? Yes of course because of their different genetic makeup. However, I do not think individuals of the same species can have different petals number. If it happens, then further studies should be carried out to ascertain the taxonomic identity of such plant.
@ Gbenga Festus Akomolafe ,
Thanks, yes further study is required as plant is same (one) and flowers have different number of petals.
In some plants this is fairly common, although I don't know the genetic basis for it. A more famous case is "fasciation", which is a lateral lengthening of the apical meristem of a compound flower head (as seen in dandelion and Celosia). Other plants have an increased number of petals ("doubling") due to the transformation of stamen into petals (roses, carnations, peony, other cultivated flowers). An extra petal could also be a somatic mutation (as with "four leaf clover").
Dear Dr M C Sidhu it is quite common case in case of solanaceae. Even I have observed this within species. S. melongena, S. torvum, S. nigrum, S. surratence, S. khasianum. Surprisingly you will also find variations in anther number as well. It looks like a genetic defect which under double recessive condition fails to make sixth petal or anther tube. However further inheritance studies can be done.
@ Nina Shishkoff ; &; Naresh Kumar Bainsla,
Thanks for your valuable input. But I am concerned with the single plant having flowers with different number of petals. I am not considering the cases of within or between the species.
Yes it is possible! Don't know much about genetics of it but it is possible case economic utilization of resources plant and temporal effect on floral bud initiation to floral development. I have seen that plants generally do rationing of nutrients to different parts and that is why only few flowers develop fully, few fruits are able to set in a complex type of inflorescence. Similar is the case of primary and secondary tillers in grasses and number of florets in spikelets etc. It is mere case of distribution of resources due to temporal and positional effect with possible interaction of nutrient supply.
Yes M. C. Sidhu, it can happen. If a single plant in the population is observed with this trait, it implies the occurrence of mutation or somaclonal variation just like Frances L. Bekele mentioned above. I had similar observation in my mutant population of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) in which varied number of floral parts were recorded in many flowers of mutant plant. The action of transposable element has been suggested to be responsible for this phenomenon in plant.
See this article:
https://scialert.net/abstract/?doi=ijpbg.2018.1.12
Hai Malkeet, this seems to be a chimaric behaviour of the plant. The genetic reason may be differential methylation commonly called as epigenetic. Grow progeny of this plant and also cross it with the normal/wild type for further investigation and rule out the role of mutation.
Mostly it is because of temperature and water levels that affect flower morphology. However, development of a sport may not be ruled out.
Phani Bhusan Sahoo The same plant bearing flowers with different petal numbers. So likely not related to ploidy.
I have also observed this phenomenon in the case of solanaceous plants 5 and 6 being more common. The good thing is that the progenies from such plants tend to behave normally. This is mainly attributed to the plants wherein interspecific pollination has occurred naturally or deliberately to improve the plant. Some cytological aberrations are caused due to interspecific hybridizations or alternatively or transposons, translocations may be responsible for such behavior. However, a systematic investigation is required to conclude the hypothesis.
Naresh Kumar Bainsla If there is any change in the form of a cytological aberrations, then it is likely to alter all the flowers of an individual plant. But this is not the present case.
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