EN
Genomic in situ hybridisation (GISH) was used to reveal chromosome pairing in two partly fertile, triploid (2n = 3x = 21) hybrids obtained by crossing the diploid (2n = 2x = 14) Festuca pratensis Huds. (designated FpFp), used as a female parent, with the autotetraploid (2n = 4x = 28) Lolium multiflorum Lam. (designated LmLmLmLm), used as a male parent. The pattern of chromosome pairing calculated on the basis of the mean values of chromosome configurations identified in all 100 PMCs analysed, was: 0.71I Lm + 2.24I Fp + 2.18II Lm/Lm + 0.54II Lm/Fp + 4.18III Lm/Lm/Fp. A relatively high number of Lm/Lm bivalents and Fp univalents, and a low number of Lm/Fp bivalents and Lm univalents indicated that the pairing was preferential between L. multiflorum chromosomes. Other observations regarding chromosome pairing within the Lm/Lm/Fp trivalents also confirmed this preferential pairing in the analysed triploids, as the Fp chromosome was not randomly located in the chain- and frying-pan-shaped trivalents. The similarities and differences in chromosome pairing at metaphase I and the level of preferential pairing between Lolium chromosomes in the different triploid Lolium-Festuca hybrids are discussed.