Chromosome countings in coffee endosperm

The endosperm tissue of the coffee seed was used successfully for chromosome countings, acetic orcein technique having proved satisfactorily to stain the well spread metaphasic and prophasic chromosomes. Endosperms with 62, 64, 66 and 68 chromosomes occur in the monosomic plants of C. arabica (n = 43) while only endosperms with 3n = 66 are formed in the typica variety (2n = 44). Polyploid cells with 128 and 132 chromosomes were also observed and this occurrence was probably the result of endomitosis. Direct observation of endosperm chromosomes gives the real cytological constitution of fertile gametes, the probable chromosome numbers of the progeny being inferred in advance.