Observations on Chromosomes in the genus Indigofera L.

The West African species of Indigofera investigated in this study reveal n 8 to be the common basic number. Whereas identification of the individual chromosomes met with no success, a distinct difference in dimensions could be detected in a number of cases, and also definite differences in the total length of the chromosome complements. The endemic African species are, with one exception, diploid. Tetraploidy occurs in Afro-Asiatic, Asiatic, American and pantropical species, whereas hexaploidy has been found in some Himalayan species.