A report of intraspecific polyploidy (4 x , 6 x ) in Festuca gigantea (L.) Vill (Family: Poaceae) from Western Himalaya, India and comments on its cyto-geography

Two cytotypes of ‘giant fescue’ sporting gametic chromosome number of n = 14 and n = 21 corresponding to 4x and 6x ploidy level (based on x = 7) were encountered in the various localities in India falling in the Western Himalayan region. The pollen mother cells of hexaploid cytotype also exhibited presence of B chromosomes (n = 21 + 0 − 2B). The intra-specific polyploidy had direct effect on both macro- and microscopic morphological traits. Cyto-geographically the 4x cytotype has wider distribution whereas 6x cytotype are scarcely represented.