Several species of the genus Paspalum L. are important forages, due their to quality, productivity and tolerance to environmental stresses. Chromosome numbers, meiotic configurations and pollen fertility were evaluated in a collection of 85 accessions of Paspalum notatum Flügge and in seven accessions of Pensacola (P. notatum var saurae). All P. notatum accessions were tetraploid, with 2n = 4x = 40, except one diploid accession, considered as an escape of Pensacola. All Pensacola plants had 2n = 2x = 20. Meiotic configurations at diakinesis and metaphase I varied among tetraploid accessions, from plants with only bivalents to plants with high frequency of quadrivalents. Pollen fertility varied from 82.5 to 95.9% among diploid accessions and from 72.4 to 97.9% among the tetraploids. Due to the apomictic mode of reproduction of tetraploid P. notatum, meiotic irregularities can be maintained by plants without harming their propagation. At the same time, pollen fertility should be high enough to assure endosperm development, since the species is pseudogamous. Wild diploid P. notatum populations, apart from the endemic P. notatum var saurae, are very rare. From a plant breeding point of view, all the examined tetraploid accessions are potentially male-fertile and could be used as males in crosses.
apomixis; chromosome numbers; meiotic configurations; plant breeding; pollen fertility
