Pollen grains of poisonous plants

Nectars and pollen grains of poisonous plants contain various toxic ingredients. Bees generally do not visit these plants as long as there is a good supply of nectar and pollen from their usual forage plants. But every locality has a floral gap during the seasonal cycles when there is an acute shortage of normal nectars and pollcn grains. If a colony has not stored adequate food reserves to tide it over such adverse periods, starvation impels them to forage even on unpalatable poisonous plants

Commelina alisagarensis Kumar and Deodikar: a new species from Hyderabad Deccan, India

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Species affinities between Cajanus cajan and some Atylosia species based on esterase isoenzymes

Esterase isozymes were studied in seed extracts of Cajanus cajan and six Atylosia species by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and isoelectrofocusing. The isozyme patterns were stable and accession specific. Within the accessions of the Atylosia species, A. albicans and A. scarabaeoides showed three common bands indicating that they are more closely related to each other than to the other species. Of the accessions of Atylosia only A. cajanifolia shares the esterase isozyme of C. cajan and hence seems to be the closest wild relative of C. cajan

Possibility of genetic improvement of pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L.)Millsp.) utilizing wild gene sources

Various wild relatives of pigeonpea,Cajanus cajan, namely some species ofAtylosia andRhynchosia, possess desirable characteristics that could be utilized for effecting genetic improvement of this crop. In total 73 cross combinations among two cultivars ofC. cajan and one accession each of eightAtylosia species and one ofRhynchosia were attempted. Twelve hybrids were obtained. Seven of these were analysed for F1 fertility and their utility for agronomic improvement of theC. cajan. Fertility behaviour of the different F1 hybrids varied and indicated that potential of gene transfer between the two genera,Atylosia andCajanus, was as good as within the genusAtylosia. From F2 and F3 families ofC. cajan × A. scarabaeoides andC. cajan × A. albicans, plants were selected with greater physiological efficiency and agronomic superiority. The prospects of transferring pod borer resistance and higher seed protein content from someAtylosia species to pigeonpea are discusse